Experts have called for collaborative efforts from government, online platforms and society to improve social insurance coverage for people in new forms of employment — such as ride-hailing drivers and food delivery workers — to better safeguard their livelihoods.

Earlier in December, the annual Central Economic Work Conference held in Beijing clarified that flexible workers and people in new forms of employment are encouraged to enroll in the regular employees' social insurance program. According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, there are more than 200 million flexible workers nationwide.

Even before the latest policy signals, several major internet companies, particularly in the food delivery sector, had begun exploring ways to improve social insurance coverage by offering subsidies linked to workers' own insurance contributions.

Chinese e-commerce platform JD announced in March 2025 that its full-time food delivery workforce was covered by the mandatory "five insurance and one fund" system for regular employees — including pension, medical, unemployment, work-related injury and maternity insurance, as well as the housing fund. The program has about 150,000 full-time delivery workers registered on the platform.

In April 2025, food delivery platform Meituan also launched a pilot pension insurance subsidy program in Quanzhou, Fujian province, and Nantong, Jiangsu province. In line with the program, Meituan offers insurance subsidies to workers who choose to participate in social insurance, work for the platform for a minimum of six months, and earn incomes above local minimum contribution base for at least three months.

A group of Meituan delivery workers in Nantong received their first pension insurance subsidies — about 490 yuan ($70) — in May after joining the program the previous month, according to Workers'Daily.

However, some experts noted that workers' relative reluctance to join social insurance programs — due to unstable incomes, financial pressures and uncertain career plans — as well as the financial burden on platforms, poses challenges to expanding coverage.

"Many flexible workers and people in new forms of employment believe that paying insurance contributions will reduce their take-home income," said Li Chang'an, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics'Academy of China Open Economy Studies.

"Delivery workers, for example, often have unstable career plans and may change jobs frequently, which leads to a lack of continuity in insurance contributions." Li added that social insurance relies on contributions from both workers and employers, which can create additional financial pressure on both sides.

Feng Shuaizhang, dean of the Institute for Economic and Social Research at Jinan University in Guangdong province, said insufficient flexibility in contribution mechanisms, limited awareness of the importance of social insurance, and a lack of understanding of relevant policies also contribute to low participation among workers in new forms of employment.

"To increase their willingness to participate, the government should improve job quality and strengthen long-term rights protection to enhance job stability," Feng said, adding that fair market competition must be ensured so employers and platforms are encouraged to pay taxes and can steadily contribute to workers' social insurance.

Li praised recent exploratory measures by internet companies and the government to strengthen social security protection for flexible workers, but said authorities could further improve insurance mechanisms and introduce stronger supportive policies, such as tax reductions, to boost participation by both employers and workers.

In December, the State Council submitted a report on safeguarding the rights of flexible workers and people in new forms of employment to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for review. The report said expanding social insurance coverage for these workers remains a key priority, with plans to make contribution mechanisms more flexible and inclusive.