LIVESTREAMING AS AN OCCUPATION
On May 24, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security made public a list of 19 professions it plans to formally recognise. It was open for public review until June 7, after which amendments – if any – will be made before the occupations are included in the official roll.
It is unclear how long the entire process will take. Based on previous records, notices for reviews were released in batches and revision works took three to five years to be completed.
Roles like livestream hosts, generative artificial intelligence system operators, intelligent connected vehicle testers and intelligent manufacturing system maintenance personnel made the shortlist, in a nod to China’s high-tech push.
But the inclusion of livestream hosts caught the most public attention, yielding multiple news reports and plenty of discussion on social media platforms.
While some expressed scepticism, most of the comments were positive. An unofficial Sina News poll on Weibo revealed that 57 per cent of 1,756 respondents view livestreaming as a lucrative profession.
“Stop working part-time or farming for a living, everyone should just be a livestreamer and enjoy benefits from national policies,” one commenter wrote, garnering 143 likes.
Another user remarked: “There are so many livestreamers out there; regardless of the content, this is a natural step.”
Others discussed the possible implications. “Besides purchasing equipment, you now have to pay taxes,” one user wrote.
The ministry defines a livestream host as a person engaged in real-time broadcasting or interactive services through means such as audio, video, and graphic information. There are also seven listed job scopes, including scripting broadcast content.
A record 11.7 million graduates are set to enter China’s workforce this year. Livestreaming has a reputation as one of the jobs with a lower barrier to entry.
Netizens in China often quip that female graduates will work as livestreamers and males as food delivery men. “Livestreamers order delivery food when hungry and delivery men watch livestreams when they are tired, creating a perfect closed loop.”
