by Yuchuan Wang
On May 4, 2023, JD.com announced the launch of “JD Youth City,” a massive building complex spanning over 300,000 square meters near the company’s Beijing headquarters. With an investment of RMB 6 billion, this project will provide nearly 4,000 furnished apartments, leisure and entertainment facilities, fitting areas for employees and interns at the beginning of their careers. The primary goal of Youth City is to reduce rental costs and long commute times for employees, alleviating some of the pressures often faced by individuals at the start of their careers.
Youth City will include a range of amenities, such as a cinema, basketball playground, swimming pool, and a commercial street, with rental prices expected to be around half of the market average. This investment in employee well-being is in line with JD.com’s ongoing efforts to prioritize the welfare of its employees, as demonstrated by its previous investment of over RMB 22 billion in improving employee living conditions.
JD Intelligent City, the third phase of JD’s customer service center is set to open in Suqian, Jiangsu province, will also become the tallest building in the city at 158 meters in height. Additionally, the company’s private enterprise shuttle bus service, the largest of its kind, currently operates over 200 buses in Beijing. JD.com plans to expand the shuttle bus service to more campuses in Shanghai, Chengdu, Suqian, and Shenzhen, in addition to collaborating with ride-sharing companies to offer employees efficient ride-sharing services.
Last November, JD.com announced plans to add RMB 10 billion to its employee housing fund and expand its relief fund for employees’ children. The company has also guaranteed its employees that in the unfortunate event of incapacity or loss of life, their fund will provide financial support for the living expenses and education of their children until they reach 22 years old, the age at which they would graduate from college.
