Ride-Hailing and Class Restructuring: Didi’s Role in China’s Digital Economy

This article explores how digital platform economies influence labor organization and social mobility in urban China, using Didi Chuxing as an example. Through a combination of literature review and 5 interviews with Didi drivers in five megacities, the article examines how the platform has reshaped working conditions, employment opportunities, and class relations. Although Didi has provided many job opportunities and promoted the modernization of urban transportation, it has also brought many new forms of instability to society and individuals, such as income instability, lack of social protection, and the phenomenon of highly educated talents being forced to engage in low-skilled work. This paper also explores the work experiences of Didi’s tech employees, revealing a dual reality: behind innovation-driven progress lies a high-pressure work environment and job insecurity. Finally, it explores the evolving consequences of the Chinese regime on platforms like Didi, between economic growth and digital innovation, and regulatory concerns over labor rights and data security. The study concludes that Didi is both a part of China’s entrepreneurial aspiration and its emerging social-economic contradictions, providing significant implications for the sustainability and equity of the platform-based economy.