BEIJING — One of China’s most competitive jobs this season wasn’t in an urban high-rise, but in its sprawling northern grasslands.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.An April advertisement for a two-person job herding sheep — offering couples an above-average combined monthly salary of 16,000 yuan ($2,400) with free food, accommodation and Wi-Fi — quickly turned into a viral phenomenon, drawing millions of views and hundreds of applications from young people eager to escape the stresses of urban life.
On Chinese social media platform Weibo, one hashtag related to the job ad gathered a staggering 59 million views.“Dealing with sheep is easier than dealing with people!” one Weibo user wrote, while another said it was their “dream job because it can help me stay away from the pretentious people in the city and live a simple life.” Zuo Xiaoyong, the 45-year-old owner of the sheep farm in Inner Mongolia — a region in China with vast grasslands, harsh winters and deep herding traditions — said he was surprised to receive more than 1,000 applications in just 48 hours after the job ad was published.
About 10% were from people with university degrees.“Most applicants are farmers, factory workers and recent graduates from major Chinese cities,” Zuo told NBC News in an interview.FORSUBSCRIBERS00:0000:00Why people in China are choosing pets over parenthood02:18The surge of interest in Zuo’s shepherding job comes amid an urban youth unemployment rate of 16.3% and fierce job competition as a record 12.7 million students graduate from Chinese universities this year.
According to job market analysis from Liepin, one of China’s leading recruitment platforms, the share of job postings for master’s degree holders dropped from 20.3% to 17.4% between 2024 and 2025.During the same period, the proportion of jobs aimed at vocational graduates rose from 8.5% to 11%.Last year, a university ...