Xiagang means 'stepping off the post'. It became the standard word for the layoffs that came with the restructuring of state-owned enterprises in the 1990s, when large numbers of workers lost the jobs, housing and welfare tied to their danwei. It is a euphemism that hides how sudden the loss was, and it marks a generation. A Lifelong Journey and The Old Story of Yu Hong set their stories in that period.
Dramas
Where it comes up
