Can China's new rules improve the future of gig workers?

Can China's new rules improve the future of gig workers?

From World Today by China Plus

May 1, 2026 · 54 min

About this episode

The episode discusses China's new guidelines aimed at improving conditions for gig workers and their potential impact on the labor market.

China has unveiled new guidelines to better protect gig workers, such as deliverymen and ride-hailing drivers, a group that now numbers over 84 million people. What real changes will these measures bring? And what could this mean for China's broader labor market? Host Dou Hongyu is joined by Soo Hee Lee, Professor in Organisation Studies with the University of Kent; Mike Bastin, China observer and senior lecturer at the University of Southampton; and Chen Jiahe, Chief Investment Officer at Novem Arcae Technologies, to delve into these questions.

People in this episode

Host: Dou Hongyu

Guests: Soo Hee Lee, Mike Bastin, Chen Jiahe

Topics covered

  • gig workers
  • labor market
  • China
  • guidelines
  • deliverymen
  • ride-hailing

Keywords

  • China
  • gig workers
  • labor market
  • guidelines
  • delivery
  • ride-hailing
  • protection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Kent, University of Southampton, Novem Arcae Technologies

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