New Trend: Pay $5 to Go To A Fake Office And Pretend You Have A Job

It's a new trend with young people in China. A fake office. They are paying a minimal fee to PRETEND they have a job. 

It doesn't get much more dystopian than this. Going to a fake office, and pretending to work.

Some co-working spaces now offer things like fake assignments and emails you can show whoever may need to see them. That way, you don't have to tell anyone you're in between jobs.

Yes, young people in China are paying $4 - $7 a day to pretend they have a job. Pretty cheap, considering the companies doing this offer desks, Wi-Fi, coffee, lunch, and an atmosphere that mimics any work environment you might need.  

You go to a shared office but don't really do any actual work. But - you don't have to tell your friends and family you're unemployed. The jobless rate in China is only about 5%, but youth unemployment is pretty high, at about 17%.

They'll assign you fake tasks. So if anyone asks what you did at work today, maybe you show them an email and say, "well, they just put me on this big project, so I'm buried in paperwork."

Some places even have fake bosses, and you can pay extra for fake arguments with them. Nope, not kidding Like, maybe they're rude in an email, so you reply and say "shove it," and they apologize. But it's all pretend, so you can show people you are killing it at work!

Not everyone is pretending. A lot of the office goers are just people who freelance, and need a co-working space. But for the ones who don't, you're paying for a desk, Wi-Fi, coffee, and theatrics. Not a bad deal.

Many of the people paying for a fake office, are using their time to search for real jobs. And it's become a long-term strategy for some. One woman who's been doing it for months said it's cheaper than sitting at a coffee shop all day. She's got a point.