China's "Fake Office" Trend: Decoding Gen Z's New Work Culture Signals

A developing trend in the workplace is taking shape among Gen Z workers in China. Individuals are waking up in the morning, getting dressed, and commuting to a "fake office." On the surface it appears to be a typical coworking space — when, of course, nobody is actually being paid as a part of any job.

If this seems absurd to you, you don't have to feel alone. That's why we’re now diving into the “fake office” phenomenon and the reasoning behind it. This atypical development reveals a lot about the shifting economic climate, and cultural pressures upon young workers today.

Fake Offices Explained

So, just what are fake offices? Coworking spaces that Gen Z workers in China rent as a space to act like they are working. They go in, sit at a desk, drink coffee, and type — but there is no employer and there is no pay.

A lot of them video their “workday” for social media as performance art, which presents an impression of productivity and discipline. It is performative, stemming from anxiety about identity, economic stagnation, and uncertainty in their careers.

The Economic and Psychological Roots

China's decelerating economy and youth unemployment rate that is stuck at 14% in 2025 has left a highly educated cohort for whom there is little opportunity for employment. As a result, "work" itself takes on a symbolic and social value in bolstering dignity and purpose.

Sociologists see similar trends with the "lying flat" movement, where young Chinese are rejecting the relentless hustle. Fake offices stand in juxtaposition, a desperate effort to regain a semblance of structure even if it is a constructed fiction.l

This trend also highlights how status anxiety shapes contemporary labor behavior. In an economy where impression often fills for opportunity, the performance of professionalism can serve as a coping mechanism.

Broader Global Parallels

Although this phenomenon is specific to China, a parallel trend appears in other parts of the world. For example, in the West, remote workers rent a desk in a co-working space to “feel” as though they are employed, or join a virtual accountability space to act as a proxy for working in an office space. The pandemic normalized performative productivity, and Gen Z continue to develop the line between authenticity and representation while being raised on the internet.

Final Thoughts

Even while the concept of fake offices seems absurd initially, there is another layer to the inquiry that humans want meaning and systems, especially in a depressed economy. In this sense, the fake office is not fake; rather it is a portrayal of the chaos of the modern labor market and the emotional desire for interdependence within that economic realm.

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