Author: Fan Gang, President of CDI

Editor’s Note: at Session 28 Labor Market Reform: Tough, but a Must-Do during the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2017, Fan Gang said that freelancers who have emerged with the development of the Internet should be covered by social security system so that they could gain the social recognition and a sense of belonging to the society.

With the development of the Internet, many non-traditional forms of employment have emerged, such as liberal profession, remote jobs, part-time employment, etc. However, in fact, these people may actually have pretty stable jobs, earning more than in large companies. Moreover, they can also enjoy more leisure time.

Social security coverage should be made compulsory for these people so that they could enjoy the same benefits as others. Efforts shall also be made to make these forms of employment accepted by the general public.

Freelancers, in need of social recognition, may want to take part in social organizations and social institutions. We should give full play to the mechanisms of social associations in terms of social security and professional skills so that they can have a sense of belonging to the community. Training programs can be organized for freelancers to enable them to actively participate in social organizations, which will be important in the future.