China Is Trying to Expand Its Social Safety Net. Yet Many Chinese Are Worried.
As of Sept. 1, all employers in China must contribute to benefits for their employees, to support their pensions, medical care, maternity leave and more. That should come as good news to many ordinary Chinese, given how threadbare China’s social safety net has been. But rather than celebrating, many in China have reacted with worry and frustration. Small business owners have said that their labor costs will skyrocket. Workers have speculated that their bosses will lay them off or lower their...
