A few years ago, American startups were at the forefront of innovative employee benefits such as flexible working hours, remote work, and unlimited vacation. Recently, however, they have shifted toward the so-called “996 work schedule,” a high-intensity Chinese work model.
According to local media reports in the United States on September 27, job postings in Silicon Valley increasingly state that “candidates unable to endure six days a week and 70-hour workweeks are not suitable.” The industry refers to this as the “American version of 996 work.” The “996” model refers to the Chinese labor practice of working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.
Analysts point out that the rapid growth of China’s gaming industry-which was once known for low-quality, mass-produced games and has recently made significant inroads into the Korean market-can also be attributed to the 996 system. Industry insiders say this is the result of China’s growth logic, which prioritizes competitiveness by sacrificing work-life balance through increased labor intensity.
This trend has accelerated in the United States, especially as competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector heats up. Brendan Foody, CEO of the AI startup Mercor, publicly declared, “We have adopted the 996 work schedule.” Driven by the urgency to secure a leading position in the market, young developers are forgoing sleep and leisure to focus on their work. The Wall Street Journal described the situation as “twentysomethings dreaming of building trillion-dollar companies are giving up everything except their laptops.”
This culture now appears to be spreading beyond AI to traditional long-hours industries such as finance, consulting, and major law firms. Forbes analyzed that “with technological advancements blurring the line between work and personal time, working more than 70 hours a week could become the industry standard.”
However, in contrast to the United States, China-where the 996 schedule originated-has recently seen a reversal of this trend. While there are still reports of excessive workloads on the ground, there is a growing movement across Chinese companies to reduce long work hours.
In 2021, China’s Supreme People’s Court declared the 996 schedule illegal after it became a social issue. Recently, large corporations such as DJI, Midea, and Haier have implemented policies requiring employees to leave work between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. The government has also begun regulating to reduce “neijuan” (excessive internal competition).
Source – https://cm.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2025092711364787255