“Good” Work for Middle-aged Men: Working Conditions and Employees’ Well-being in China

• In Event: 50220 - Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 13: Health and Wellbeing

Abstract

Amid China’s evolving labor market, the conditions shaping workers’ well-being remain unevenly examined, as is the case in many other developing societies. While middle-aged men are often perceived as a socially advantaged group, their experiences with job security, working hours, and workplace expectations reveal broader structural dilemmas that merit attention. This study employs a Temporal-Structural-Cultural Framework to categorize key working conditions and examine their relationships with well-being, offering a systematic lens for understanding employment in China’s labor market. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2018, regression analyses test six hypotheses across three dimensions of work-related factors and five dimensions of well-being.

Findings reveal that both reduced working hours and tenured state-sector jobs are the strongest predictors of physical and subjective well-being, highlighting the dual importance of work-life balance and job security. While job security reflects deeply rooted cultural expectations in China’s labor market, excessive working hours remain a persistent structural challenge. Additionally, career advancement improves job satisfaction but is linked to poorer physical health and unhealthy behaviors, reflecting pressures from workplace norms such as Yingchou culture. Furthermore, indoor workplaces are significantly preferred, reinforcing cultural ideals of workplace masculinity beyond material benefits.

These results challenge dominant meritocratic narratives, demonstrating that narrowly defined career success does not uniformly enhance well-being and that work conditions should be re-evaluated beyond singular factors like income and promotion. This study calls for a more inclusive understanding of China’s work-life landscape, advocating for policies that promote sustainable and equitable working conditions, including limits on excessive work hours and stronger labor protections.

Author

• Yuhan Guo, Pennsylvania State University