Abstract
Youth unemployment and underemployment, especially among college graduates, have surged to unprecedented levels in recent years in China. In this study, we highlight youth unemployment and underemployment as prevalent yet distinct phenomena, and explore their trends and determinants over the past few decades. We further investigate the political implications of youth unemployment and underemployment.
Bio
Yao LU is Professor of Sociology and Faculty Affiliate at the Columbia Population Research Center (CPRC), the Weatherhead East Asian Institute (WEAI), and the Data Science Institute (DSI). Her research centers on the intersection of inequality, demography, and political sociology, with a focus on how demographic changes and inequality shape political processes. Her current work examines patterns and societal consequences of youth unemployment and underemployment in China and other global contexts. Additionally, she has conducted two national surveys as part of a team. The first survey focuses on migration and families in China (2012-2013). The second survey investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped racial and ethnic attitudes in the United States (2020-2022).
