BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Workers in new forms of employment are essential to China's labor force and play an indispensable role in the country's economic and social development, according to guests on the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.
Huang Kun, a research fellow from the Chinese Academy of Labor and Social Security, said the new workforce primarily consists of internet-platform-based workers, including delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, truck drivers, internet marketers, live-streaming hosts, and online housekeeping service providers.
A widely referenced report from the State Information Center put the number of platform-based workers at 84 million in 2020.
Wang Xiaojun, an official in Beijing's Xicheng District, described platform workers as "ferrymen" between the digital economy and offline consumption.
These workers deliver not only packages and meals but also medicines, daily necessities, and emergency supplies directly to residents' doorsteps, Wang said.
Zhou Li, a house cleaner with JD Home Services, is one of many who have moved from traditional manufacturing into the platform economy. Having previously worked in a factory, she chose housekeeping as a promising industry.
"My income is better than before," Zhou said. "I want to learn more -- to become a maternity matron, a childcare specialist, and also get into elderly care."
Yang Jing, secretary-general of the Chongqing home service association, emphasized that greater social visibility is urgently needed for workers in new forms of employment.
"This community particularly needs to be seen," she said. "We must enhance the social integration of new employment groups, increase their sense of participation, and help them embed into neighborhoods." ■
