The report classifies the current new types of flexible jobs into two categories: one is location-based, with registered flexible workers taking online orders but serving in a specific real-world location, such as ride-hailing drivers and food delivery workers; while the other is cloud-based, with all services fulfilled online by workers ranging from online lecturer to livestreamer and online salesperson.

　　The report observed that cloud-based flexible jobs are more lucrative to young people, females and those with higher education backgrounds.

　　According to the report, youths aged between 21 and 25 take the largest proportion of jobseekers competing for cloud-based flexible job openings at Zhaopin's platform, which is about 45.2 percent.

　　Female job hunters show higher preference, accounting for 56.1 percent of the total seeking flexible jobs. The number is 12.2 percentage points higher than males, as cloud-based flexible jobs have lower requirements of physical strength but better ability of communicating and teamwork, the report said.

　　Tian Xiaomin, 31, working as an accountant at a pressing house in Shanghai, is a part-time online lecturer of English language. She said that the job earns her extra income of 3,000 to 5,000 yuan per month with the payment fluctuating based on her class hours.

　　“I've taken the part-time flexible job since 2023 out of my interest. It's very common to see a 'slashie' nowadays who won't confine to one single job but take flexible work in spare time. One of my friends is a fitness trainer at weekends while a financial analyst at workdays,“ she said.

　　Feng Shuaizhang, dean of the Institute for Economic and Social Research of Jinan University, said that the recovering economy and flourishing digital economy, platform economy and sharing economy have created more flexible job opportunities.