Chronicling the post-1980 generation

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Among the 220 million people who can be classified as the post-1980 generation in China, about half are migrant workers, and more than 50 million are only children. The decrease in the birthrate and the boom in higher education since 1999 have given this group increased access to educational opportunities.

As the first generation born under China's family planning policy, people born after 1980 witnessed the country's reforms, economic boom and move toward globalization.

Some say they are the unluckiest generation because they face soaring housing prices and a stagnant job market, while in the past, universities offered graduates jobs, and State-owned enterprises and institutions provided housing to staff.

The research shows that more people from the post-1980 generation work in private or foreign-funded enterprises than people from other generations, and the percentage of those who make a living farming has dropped dramatically.

The group's mobility is higher than that of other generations, with about 31 percent living away from their birthplace. The post-1980 generation is also more adept at using the Internet to communicate and gather information.

Although they had an advantageous childhood, they are under enormous pressure to take care of their parents and raise their own children. They also face difficulties in buying housed in big cities.

The research suggests that buying a house depends on how much help a young person's family is able to offer. About 68 percent of the top university graduates say their parents will offer, or have offered, financial support when they wish to buy a home.

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