The pilot occupational injury insurance programme for workers in new forms of employment in China, which till now, was available in select regions, as a pilot insurance programme, is now available across the country, according to an announcement by the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
The expanded format of the social protection programme, which also includes occupational injury insurance, came into effect from 30 June 2026. This programme was originally launched on 1 July 2022 on a pilot basis and covered all order-taking workers from 11 major platform companies across 17 provincial-level regions in three sectors — ride-hailing, instant delivery and intracity freight. The expanded programme will now cover all 31 provincial-level regions of the country.
According to government data, China currently has more than 84m gig workers and as of the end of June this year, the pilot programme had covered 29.9m workers.
The programme accommodates gig workers who frequently switch between platforms or work on multiple platforms simultaneously. It adopts a flexible enrolment model and instead of fixed monthly contributions, the coverage is activated on a daily basis, premiums are calculated per order, payments are settled monthly, and protection follows the worker rather than being tied to a single platform.
The provincial authorities will continue to bring smaller platform companies registered in their jurisdictions into the programme throughout the year.
The programme has strengthened legal protection for workers in new forms of employment while fostering a fair, transparent and supportive employment environment.