At 5.30am on a recent weekday, Li Cungui, a 54-year-old migrant worker, joined hundreds of older jobseekers in Majuqiao, a town on the Beijing outskirts known for its day-labour market where recruiters advertise tasks from bricklaying to parts assembly.
Li, who is originally from a village in China’s northern Hebei province, said he had no choice but to find a temporary job as full-time roles went to younger applicants.
“We are the most vulnerable group in the labour market because we are old and unskilled,” said Li, who ended up taking a job sorting parcels that paid Rmb250 ($36) for 10 hours, slightly less than the city’s minimum wage.