University graduates look to clean up as ayi

Three years after gaining a degree in politics and administration from Xinjiang University, 23-year-old Zhou Yanyan should by now be well on her way up the corporate ladder.

In actual fact, she recently celebrated three months as a domestic helper — or ayi — in Shanghai.

Like many graduates of her generation, Zhou has given up her professional ambitions for the more lucrative world of cleaning, cooking and childcare.

"To me, being an ayi is a good opportunity to make money while accumulating experience," she said.

After graduating from university in 2011, Zhou worked as an office clerk in her hometown of Suqian, in east China's Jiangsu Province. She relocated to Shanghai in February.

Her goal now is to become a yue sao, or maternity maid. These specialist ayi have expertise in caring for newborn babies and generally live with new parents for the first month after the birth of their child.

According to a poll of 70,000 registered domestic helpers by industry website yunjiazheng.com, the average yue sao last year earned between 7,000 (US$1,100) and 10,000 yuan per month.

Working as a clerk, Zhou was earning just 2,500 yuan a month.

"The income gap is just too big," said Qin Yanya, a 25-year-old from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The Guangxi University graduate quit her 1,500 yuan a month job in human resources and is now also training to become a yue sao.

Her decision came as no surprise to industry expert Bai Yanfei.

"There's been a definite increase in the number of college students looking to become ayi," said the boss of Shanghai Gongxin Domestic Service Co.

"It's no longer regarded as a low-status position," he said.

According to yunjiazheng.com, more than 12 percent of ayi surveyed had a college degree or higher.

"It's more fun learning how to bath a baby or change its diaper than it is filing and printing documents in an office all day," Zhou said.