Civil service pay cuts reflect China's economic struggles

Government employees arrive to work at an area occupied by protesters outside of the government headquarters building in Hong Kong, October 6, 2014. [Reuters]

Even as their nation emerges from three years of COVID-related lockdowns, many Chinese are facing a new source of economic hardship - steep cuts in earnings for the country's millions of civil servants.

"My year-end bonus will be reduced by at least 20,000-30,000 Yuan [roughly $2,800-$4,200]," said a 38-year-old local housing authority employee in the eastern city of Nantong, who asked to be identified only as Chen for fear of retaliation by authorities.