From 996 to Jobless As AI Shockwave Hits China’s Tech Sector Workers

China’s infamous “996” work culture 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week was once hated but endured by programmers seeking high salaries and middle class status. Now, many don’t even have the chance to endure it, as AI coding tools rapidly replace jobs. According to official data, China’s software and IT services industry employed 8.09 million people in 2021, with GitHub reporting 7.55 million developers. Salaries averaged $2,200–$2,700 monthly, higher in cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

For years, joining giants like Tencent, Alibaba, or ByteDance was seen as a ticket to prosperity. But the health toll was severe, with programmers working late nights, suffering stress, and even dying young. One programmer, collapsed at the age of 32 after years of gruelling hours, sparking outrage online. His wife lamented that once gone, “all your proud achievements become garbage.”

Programmers live under constant anxiety, fearing they’ll fall behind if they don’t study technical papers even on weekends. Their lives lack social interaction, and many wonder if a different lifestyle is possible. Yet options are limited. A 35 year old laid off by ByteDance noted, “What I need now isn’t a job, but a format of life to survive.” Even if rehired, layoffs loom again.

China’s five major internet giants have cut over 130,000 employees in the past year and a half. Alibaba reduced 30–40 percent of its workforce, while Baidu and JD.com downsized thousands. Once prestigious jobs now seem insecure, with salaries declining even for graduates of elite universities.

Stories abound of hardship. A female programmer with a master’s degree from a top 985 university has been unemployed for six months, struggling with a $2,400 mortgage and dwindling savings. A 27 year old, laid off despite just starting her career, wonders why she faces a “midlife crisis” so early.

The average age at some tech giants is now 27.5, leaving older workers with families increasingly excluded. Younger employees fare little better, described as “sugarcane chewed up and spat out.” AI tools can now generate code at senior level quality, completing month long projects in a week. Even highly educated graduates from Peking University face layoffs after only a year in major firms.

Layoffs strike indiscriminately. One front end developer in Shanghai has been unemployed for three months, with interviews reduced to perfunctory five minute sessions. Another worker, after seven years at a company, was suddenly dismissed along with thousands. Senior employees are often targeted first, despite years of loyalty.

A 45 year old woman who spent 22 years at Alibaba was laid off, despite witnessing the company’s rise from start-up to giant. She accepted it calmly, knowing the day would come. Others, like a former design director at Gaode Maps, consider moving to smaller cities with lower living costs, surviving on modest savings.

The crisis is especially severe for those over 35. With mortgages, children’s education costs, and falling housing prices, many face financial ruin. One woman laid off twice in six months struggles to balance work, commuting five hours daily, and raising a child.

She ultimately quit, unable to sustain the pressure. China has over 7 million software engineers compared to 4.4 million in the US, but its 996 culture is harsher. Why can’t China’s system compete with the US’s 955 schedule? The answer lies in the rigid structure of the CCP system, which shapes industries in peculiar ways.

The human toll is immense. Programmers once earning hundreds of thousands annually built life plans around stable incomes, only to be trapped by mortgages and family responsibilities. Now, many middle class families risk sliding back into poverty. The hashtag “the life of an ordinary person” trended on Weibo, resonating deeply.