In Beijing about six months ago, Ada quit her job and she didn't tell her parents.

So I had to go out on time at eight o'clock every morning and then appear downstairs in

her house.

Wearing her work clothes and a face full of makeup each morning, Ada pretended to

walk to her old bus stop and then she would keep walking.

She'd get breakfast at KFC or McDonald's, then around 10 she'd go to a cafe like the

one we met her in.

And it's here where she would usually take out her pencils and start drawing.

Drawing is the best way to pass the time in my opinion because you'll spend most of

the time drawing without even knowing it.

Ada is one of tens of millions of young Chinese people who don't have jobs and aren't

in school.

In June, the urban youth unemployment rate hit 21%.

And that's way up from pre-bandemic times.

It's one in five, 16 to 24-year-olds who have looked for a job over the last few months,

but don't have one.

And the numbers are so disconcerting that a few weeks ago, the Chinese government put

a pause on publishing them, citing the need for a review.

But this vast number of unemployed people is getting a lot of scrutiny because what

it means has big implications for the Chinese economy and the world.

This is the indicator from planet money, I'm Whelan Wang.

And I'm Darien Boards.

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