As China's e-commerce sector develops rapidly, the livestreaming industry has ushered in a period of rapid growth, with increased demand for talent and the creation of more than 30 new occupations within the industry.
According to the data from the Annual Report on China's Internet Audiovisual Service Development, as of December 2023, the number of short video accounts across all applications had reached 1.55 billion, with 15.08 million professional live streamers. The demand for talent in this industry has increased significantly, with a current talent gap of 8 million which is projected to rise to 19.4 million by 2025.
"Online livestreaming is among the top occupations, creating many other jobs including internet marketers. Team roles focused on livestreaming sales, product selection, innovation, and promotion may evolve into new job opportunities in the future," said Fan Wei, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Personnel Science.
Data showed that those born between 1980 and 2000 have become the major force in this trend, with people born in the 1980s and 1990s accounting for 31 percent and 27 percent of the total workforce, respectively.
An emerging occupation is live-streaming recruiter, which has become a new trend in employee hiring. To provide job seekers with a better understanding of potential jobs, live-streaming recruiters create livestreaming rooms that replicate actual workplaces.
"They will instantly know their work environment once they come to my channel. For example, I tell them that workers at a wheel hub plant will earn around 6,000 to 10,000 yuan (about 832.5 to 1,387.5 U.S. dollars)(per month). Seeing the uniform and the workplace setup helps them get a personal feel," said Yan Wei, a livestreaming recruiter.
Livestreaming recruiters bridge the gap between employers and employees by conducting audits and verifying qualifications before matching candidates with suitable employers.
"The live recruiting team classifies enterprises based on their qualifications. For instance, some enterprises have high employment rates but low retention. We need to conduct market research beforehand and screen employers to ensure we are responsible for job seekers," said Yan.
New occupations emerge amid China's booming livestreaming industry
