China’s ruthlessly enforced one-child-per-couple policy has succeeded in severely curtailing population growth in the world’s most populous country, but it has also set the foundation for a huge surplus of seniors by mid-century.  Not only that, the present generation of children is encountering rampant discrimination in the job market.  Employers don’t want to hire them.  Why not? Basically, because they’re spoiled.

When Chen Fengxin, a hydro-electricity major, handed in his resume to potential employers at a job fair for students majoring in hydro-electricity in the central province of Henan, he was stunned by the questions he received from recruitment personnel, reported the Dong Fang Jin Bao on November 27.

"Are you from a village? Do you have any sisters or brothers?"

A female employee from the Sinohydro Engineering Bureau No.1 said her company favors non-only children because of several years of experience.

"Students from cities and only children cannot endure the hardships incurred in the process of geological exploitation. Brain drain is rife," she told the paper, adding that parents of only children hope their offspring can stay close to them and not work too far away.

This helps explain why an increasing number of Chinese university students are joining the army.  A two-year stint in the tough, disciplined, and teamwork-oriented armed forces teaches students important skills and makes them more attractive to employers.

h/t: Acton Institute PowerBlog

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