Introduction

2020 marked an endpoint because it was the last year of several changes between 2019 and 2020. So, this paper will examine the issue of growing alienation among Chinese workers before the pandemic. The relationship between labor alienation and political economy, with empirical research to follow in this study post-COVID-19. Drawing on journals of Political Economy and the experience of the workers in these two fields – technology and manufacturing companies, before and after the epidemic in the People’s Republic of China. The paper investigates the relationship between increased isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and rising unemployment levels and changes in employment patterns among employees in China.

Contextualizing COVID-19’s Impact on Labor:

This was evident when the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2020 hit the world labor market with a significant effect, especially in China, the source country. The outbreak of the virus caused unprecedented disruption in businesses that had a significant impact on worker conditions[1]. Before the pandemic, the labor environment in China was defined by fast-paced industrialization, technological innovations, and a significant number of people working in the industry and IT sectors, respectively.[2]. It was one of the leading global manufacturing hubs, hosting multinational companies looking for cheap production and plentiful labor.

Despite this, China encountered a host of challenges following the outbreak of COVID-19. The rapid spread of the virus necessitated strict steps like lockdowns and restrictions[3]. These actions brought about significant turbulence in different sectors across the economy. For instance, in the manufacturing industry, there was a severe challenge of maintaining a steady supply chain – locally and globally[4]. Sudden stoppages in economic activities ensured joblessness and economic insecurity among many employees worldwide.

The Chinese labor market was relatively prone before COVID-19, with issues about working conditions, workers’ rights, and income disparities. These pre-existing issues were worsened by the pandemic, highlighting the unreliability of the labor market and widening the chasm between workers.[5]. Before the pandemic, Labor in China showed a worker intending to strive for improved conditions and rights against the backdrop of a shifting economy. However, the emergence of COVID-19 made it worse for Chinese workers since it brought unrivaled problems on top of those strains.[6]. It is therefore worth noting that an intricate connection exists between health crises such as COVID-19 and labor systems, including in a country like China, which has large populations. This historical background prepares us to understand precisely how workers were affected by the rise of the pandemic.

III. Literature Review: Political Economy and COVID-19

The analysis of primary and secondary source material.

Scholars have focused on the intersection of political economy and the COVID-19 pandemic to understand labor conditions. The primary and secondary sources allow for an in-depth portrayal of the multi-facet effects caused by political, economic, and cultural change[7]. The study of Kozhina and Vinokurov (2020) highlights essential elements of alienation that university lecturers experienced due to the pandemic situation and offers a distinctive understanding of the problems they met as a result of transformations at their institutions[8]. The studies conducted by Lagios et al. in 2023 provide crucial evidence related to the predictors and the probable consequences of the work alienation syndrome, which has become one of the significant results of the Covid period.[9]. The discussion becomes more elaborate through the study by Prashant Mehta (2022), which treats work alienation as a mediating factor within the intricate dynamics of remote working, isolation, and elevated job insecurity occasioned by the pandemic.

Case Studies

Case studies have been crucial in considering how COVID-19 has influenced work alienation across different sectors. Therefore, a key example is that of Mohamed et al. (2022), whereby nurses are highlighted to demonstrate how frontline workplaces face unique stressors in healthcare organizations. In his research published in 2022, Michael Yao-Ping Peng reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the psychological distance among frontline employees working in hotels and the psychological implications this has for hospitality companies.[10]. This case study by Tsang and Wu (2022) discusses emotional labor in teaching during the pandemic and its effect on authentic versus alienated work. Together, these case studies provide richer insight into different forms and expressions of work alienation that