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Friends for hire: Young Chinese rent out their time to earn extra cash - Nikkei Asia

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NEW YORK -- Yang, a 27-year-old blogger in Beijing, was in an IKEA store to meet her first client, a young man who was paying 125 yuan ($17) an hour for her time and company. She did not know what to expect other than that he wanted someone to talk to. She soon spotted him and the two walked around the store for a bit before finding a display couch to sit on. For the next two hours, he complained to Yang about his girlfriend. "He would ask me what I thought from a female perspective. I guess he didn't have female friends to talk to, and he didn't want to complain about his girlfriend to friends either," Yang said with a laugh, as she recounted her experience to Nikkei Asia. "Young people have become lonelier," she added. "Some people are very stressed at work and some experience pressure from their own family." This combination of stress and loneliness has opened up a business opportunity for young people in China: renting out their spare time for extra cash. It is a near-perfect marri

Friends for hire: Young Chinese rent out their time to earn extra cash - Nikkei Asia Business trends Friends for hire: Young Chinese rent out their time to earn extra cash Economic and social pressures spur growth of 'side hustle' industries Young people in China © Getty Images MARRIAN ZHOU, Nikkei staff writer February 25, 2024 11:13 JST NEW YORK -- Yang, a 27-year-old blogger in Beijing, was in an IKEA store to meet her first client, a young man who was paying 125 yuan ($17) an hour for her time and company. Read Next Ukraine war Russia procures tank parts from Japan and Taiwan via China Eco

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