‘Cadre style’ fashion is a new trend in China’s sluggish economy.

The 22-year-old said the decision helped him feel “determined and confident” for the highly competitive written exam to become a bureaucrat. His sense of purpose is already evident in dressing the part: Wang has tapped into the “cadre style” fad in China, where aspiring young men don Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uniforms.

Long considered uninspired, in recent months the simple attire of the Chinese politician has gained a new appeal for those seeking the security of official duties. “As private companies announce mass layoffs due to the epidemic, the popularity of the cadre style reflects the desire to live in a system with stable jobs and income,” Wang said.

China’s economic growth fell to 0.4%

Rising unemployment and an uncertain economic outlook have made seemingly stable jobs in the party and its sprawling bureaucracy attractive to the nearly 11 million Chinese university graduates who entered the job market this summer.

Economic woes threaten to derail important momentum for Chinese leader Xi Jinping as he prepares for a third term at the 20th Party Congress this fall. China’s strict adherence to a “zero-Covid” policy and a sharp slowdown in the housing market may not meet its goal of 5.5 percent economic growth this year, senior leaders said last month.

In connection with the illness, the unemployment rate of 16 to 24-year-old youth was recorded at 19.9 percent in July. The reasons include coronavirus restrictions and regulatory action that has hit the tech industry and private education. As a result, more Chinese university students than ever before are turning to the party-state in search of secure employment.

In November, 2.1 million people registered for China’s annual civil service exam in search of an “iron rice bowl” of government-certified employment. With 31,200 vacancies, an average of 68 people competed for each position. A postal service job in Tibet drew nearly 20,000 applicants, the state-run Global Times newspaper reported.

“Stability has become a priority for young graduates,” said Xilian Zhaopin, director of public relations at the online recruitment platform. Job fairs have been canceled as overseas students return to China during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen rising unemployment, which has affected domestic production. Many have begun to believe that their lives can be stable by working as civil servants.

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On Instagram-like platform Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book, cadre-style hashtags on photos of mostly young men dressed as government officials have millions of views. Many of the posters refer to themselves as “boyfriends out of the loop”; This also makes men who work in coveted government jobs a better marriage.

The article, which has been widely shared on social media app WeChat, said he was surprised that it reflected the power and respect government officials wield – especially when parents pressure their daughters to get married.

“Unlike clothing designed for self-expression, the point of Cadre style is to clearly demonstrate… that a 20-year-old has the skills of a 30-year-old and the wealth of a 40-year-old,” the article said. Why do parents hope their daughters will find a partner in the system?

Not everyone is impressed with the trend. Online influencers are simply dressing up badly, he said. Chinese media wrote about a 25-year-old man who dressed up as one, commonly referred to as a middle-ranking official. On the microblog Weibo, one person asked, “Why is ugly beautiful? Use old age to find old age, and turn lack of personality into talent?”

As Xi reasserts the party’s leadership over all sectors of society and takes seemingly exaggerated measures in the private economy, pressure is mounting on young people to publicly point out what the party calls the “core socialist values” of patriotism and commitment. and loyalty.

To the casual viewer, Kadre’s style is unimpressive; Because not showing it is part of the point. A common choice is a plain black dress with a cheap white shirt and sensible leather shoes. Another is the unbranded polo shirt. The signature windbreakers worn by senior party leaders are particularly popular.

For Wang, a recent graduate, the CCP badge is important. Raised by two civil servant parents in Hanzhong, a city of 3 million in Shaanxi province, Wang applied to join the party in his first year of college. Dressed in black and wearing the party’s bright red logo on his arm, he says, “It makes you feel mature and serious” as they pose for photos.

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Joining a party remains a common choice for large numbers of young Chinese, regardless of their political beliefs. But Wang says he is a true believer, he was drawn to the official by a trip to school in Zhengding County in Hebei Province, where he was inspired by Xi Jinping’s example, and became the local party chief in 1980 at the age of 30.

“Of course, there are many uncertainties, but with my efforts, I hope to become the chief cadre of a department or office,” Wang said. Or even a director.

But not everyone can work for the government. And the troubled job market has caused many to settle for their dream job. A May survey by Zillian Zhaopin found that 55 percent of recent graduates said the economic climate has lowered their expectations for a future job, and their average salary was about $930 a month, down 6 percent from a year ago.

After graduating from Wuhan Secondary University last year, Lin Wang spent months looking for a job and finally decided to move to Guangzhou, China’s most populous city, after several failed attempts in her hometown.

Wang – who is not related to Harry Wang or Wang Yixin – did not intend to take the civil service exam. “It’s very competitive. I’m not taking a chance,” she said, adding that only one person she knew made the decision.

The 22-year-old business graduate says: “The different situation for graduates in my year is now that everyone is applying for jobs that were previously not suitable for top university students.” “There are a lot of competitors. Those who have been kicked out by the big companies are competing with you.

Wang said she had not reached the point where she wanted to apply for unemployment benefits, saving as a cushion during her previous internships, but decided not to look for a good job. “I used to get two days off a week and get a job, but now I can only tolerate one day off,” she said. “You have to face the truth.”