China, a manufacturing powerhouse, faced multiple challenges in the past year, including the pandemic and floods, leading to unemployment for millions of migrant workers. The middle-class white-collar workers also experienced hardships. China's GDP growth was the second-worst since 1992, with the manufacturing sector expanding for five months due to government stimulus and controlled domestic outbreaks, but exports remained difficult. Migrant workers faced reduced job markets, and factories shifted to producing pandemic-related goods, often at the expense of workers' rights and benefits. The service industry workers were hit hardest, and the government's response, including promoting street vending, did not address the root issues. Floods further impacted agricultural and manufacturing regions, with low-income workers, especially migrant workers, bearing the brunt. Unemployment also affected recent graduates, with a record number of 8.74 million facing a grim job market. White-collar workers faced job cuts, wage reductions, and unfair treatment, with older employees being more vulnerable to layoffs, potentially affecting domestic consumption and President Xi Jinping's 'internal circulation' economic strategy.