Greener pasture of a shepherd's life lures Chinese workers penned in by 996' jobs

A farm owner in Inner Mongolia posted a recruitment advert for two shepherds to graze 3,000 sheep on a 2,000ha pasture during summer and handle indoor feeding and cleaning during winter. The ranch is about 300km from Xilinhot near the Mongolian border, where temperatures can drop below -30C. The role offered 8,000 yuan per month, with accommodation and groceries provided, exceeding typical urban private-sector pay. The advert went viral on Chinese social media, attracting over 700 applicants for two positions. Many applicants came from factory work and white-collar jobs, including people worn down by workplace politics. The response pointed to difficulty finding stable work in cities, alongside concerns about long working hours.

"Zuo Xiaoyong posted an advert on Chinese social media in late April seeking two shepherds, preferably a couple, to take 3,000 sheep out to graze on a 2,000ha pasture in the summer. The shepherds would also undertake indoor feeding and cleaning during the winter when temperatures can drop below -30C at his ranch roughly 300km from Xilinhot city, near the Mongolian border."

"The advert stated that the shepherds would be paid 8,000 yuan (around 880/US$1,180) each per month and have their accommodation and groceries provided. That salary is well above China's national urban average for private company employees of roughly 6,000 yuan. The salary is high, but whether you can work long-term and get through the winter is what matters most, Zuo told Reuters."

"Featuring a video of sheep frolicking in green pastures, the simple advert drew a huge response on social media when it was posted, garnering around 59m views on Weibo, China's equivalent of X. Zuo told Reuters that more than 700 people applied for the two positions. About 10% of applicants were recent university graduates, he said, while others were factory workers and even white-collar types worn down by workplace politics in megacities like Shanghai and Chongqing."

"China's official unemployment rate stands at about 5.2%, while its unemployment rate for young people aged 16-24, excluding students, stands at 16.9%, according to National Bureau of Statistics figures released in March. Disgruntlement with the 996 culture of long work hours 9am to 9pm, six days a week is the norm in many Chinese companies has become a unitin"

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