Jobs

The AI squeeze: No juniors, no seniors, more burnout

As older workers and the very young exit or are not able to even enter the workforce, the “squeezed middle” may have to take on extra burdens. For this group, the AI age might be making work harder, not easier, says NUS academic Weiyi Ng.

Weiyi Ng

06 Aug 2026

Can China’s slowing economy sustain its tech ambitions?

China sees technological self-reliance as the key to future growth. But with a slowing economy, can Beijing sustain the investment needed to achieve its high-tech ambitions over the long term? Economist Min-Hua Chiang examines the issue.

Min-Hua Chiang

31 Jul 2026

[Big read] Why Chinese gamers pay African youths to play for them

Chinese-run studios across Africa employ young workers to grind the game — do repetitive tasks to gain in-game currency — turning play into digital labour and exposing the opportunities and tensions behind the business. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting finds out more.

Lim Zhan Ting

29 Jul 2026

Why young Americans are turning against AI

Young people in the US and elsewhere are showing their dislike for and even hostility towards AI. US researcher Benjamin Lira Luttges analyses the factors involved.

Benjamin Lira Luttges

24 Jul 2026

[Big read] One Taiwan, two speeds: The winners and losers of the AI boom

Taiwan’s AI boom is driving record growth and stock market highs, but beneath the prosperity, widening inequality and geopolitical risks threaten its long-term advantage. Lianhe Zaobao Taipei correspondent Lai Oi Lai speaks with experts and people on the ground to find out.

Lai Oi Lai

15 Jul 2026

Million-dollar overseas degrees, entry-level Chinese salaries

For decades, studying abroad was seen as a ticket to opportunity. Now, more Chinese graduates are returning home — only to find that foreign credentials carry less weight than before. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu examines the issue.

Liu Liu

08 Jul 2026

How AI is rewiring white-collar work in China

AI was supposed to boost productivity. Instead, for many Chinese workers, it has meant layoffs, lower pay and shrinking job security as companies reshape work around doing more with less.

Caixin Global

26 Jun 2026

When employees leave, their AI clones carry on working

Companies are racing to turn workers’ skills and know-how into AI-powered digital employees. But as the technology advances, more workers are fighting to stop their expertise from being extracted — and used against them.

Caixin Global

19 Jun 2026

China’s gig economy nears half the workforce but worker protections lag behind

Over 44% of China’s workforce is now engaged in flexible employment. While closing the white-collar income gap, this massive shift exposes major gaps in workers’ rights and social security stability. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang analyses the data.

Li Kang

12 Jun 2026

[Big read] Why Malaysian youths are choosing mainland China over Taiwan for degrees

For generations, a Taiwan degree meant upward mobility for Malaysian Chinese. Today, a rising China and evolving local options are changing where students choose to carve out their futures. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tan Jet Min reports.

Tan Jet Min

03 Jun 2026

How AI is mining worker data to reshape the labour market

China’s AI boom is entering the office: companies are increasingly turning employees’ habits, decisions and workflows into digital workers — fuelling fears that staff are quietly training their own replacements.

Caixin Global

19 May 2026

[Vox pop] How do Chinese people see AI?

In recent years, China has become one of the fastest-moving players in the global AI race. AI is now becoming part of everyday life for many Chinese people. And now, amid the sweeping changes triggered by this technological wave, ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming and Yi Jina speak with some Chinese to hear what they really think about AI today.

Lu Lingming, Yi Jina

08 May 2026