China Decode: China Drops Its Jobs Target, Tencent Buys Back Manus, and the Rise of "Tier 3 City" Living
The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
Jul 14, 2026
China's economic planners have abandoned urban job targets for the first time in decades, signaling deep uncertainty amid rapid AI adoption and shifting demographics. As millions pivot to gig work, a cultural rebellion among Gen Z is redefining productivity, opting for smaller cities over the exhausting 'rat race' of Tier 1 metropolises.
Key insight: Approximately 44% of China's entire workforce—about 320 million people—is now engaged in flexible or 'gig' employment, a scale of labor instability unseen in the West.
