Several new professions were officially recognized by Chinese authorities on March 18, mainly emerging from the information technology sector or related to flexible and work-at-home employment trends.

Released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the 18 new professions include middlemen engaged in preowned vehicle sales, food safety managers, service robot technicians and soft drink blenders.

For example, service robot technicians as defined by the ministry are responsible for collecting customer feedback on the automatons in order to better service and promote them.

The ministry said that market demand for this position has surged amid a graying labor force and more widespread application of robots in areas of education, entertainment, logistics and security due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

People's pursuit of better lives and the development of flexible employment are also strong drivers for these new professions.

The ministry said that upgraded automobiles have created great demand for used car sales — an undertaking that can be quite complicated in terms of brand authentication, auction procedures, quality control and financing.

Also, the economic recovery has revived the market for preowned cars. Figures from the China Automobile Dealers Association show that in 2020, there were about 14.3 million used cars sold nationwide, and the number is projected to increase over the coming years.

The continued market expansion and complexity of services require dedicated professionals to carry out the service well.

The ministry said that professional middlemen can help maintain a fair and transparent auto dealing market and improve resale efficiency. They can also offer tailored plans to customers.

Another of the newly approved positions is the professional preparation of drinks such as milk tea and juices, as beverages like these increasingly cater to the tastes of young consumers enjoying greater spending power.

A report by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association in November said that the current market for on-site prepared drinks is around 130 billion yuan ($20 billion), among which the market for tea-related drinks is some 70 billion yuan.

Li Qing, a 23-year-old milk tea maker in Beijing, said she was very pleased to learn her work has been officially recognized.

"I graduated from a vocational school in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, after studying e-commerce. But I decided to join a milk tea chain store in 2019, which my parents were none too pleased to learn of as they didn't consider it a serious job. But I love people's smiles when they drink the milk tea I make," Li said.

"Now there is an official name for my profession and I hope that people can pay more respect to us as all jobs are equal," she said.

The ministry said that it will step up the work of standardizing these new professions and offering guidance through training courses to improve workers' quality and abilities.

It said that granting official approval to new professions will help stabilize the job market and encourage people to start their own businesses. It's also of great importance to push forward vocational educational reform and industrial upgrading.