Working 9 to 5 is a way to make a living. But in Silicon Valley, amid the competitive artificial intelligence craze, grinding “996” is the way to get ahead. Or at least to signal to those around you that you’re taking work seriously.
The number combo refers to a work schedule — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week — that has its origins in China’s hard-charging tech scene. In 2021, a Chinese high court barred employers from compelling employees to work 72-hour weeks. But that hasn’t stopped California tech workers from fixating on the approach — and posting about it nonstop in recent weeks on X and LinkedIn.
Evidence of the trend is so far largely anecdotal: Some companies are noting their expectation for 70-hour-plus workweeks in job descriptions. Executives are said to be asking prospective hires if they are willing to work such schedules. And Ramp, a financial operations start-up, noted in a blog post this month that it had observed a higher share of corporate credit card transactions in San Francisco on Saturdays for the first half of this year than in previous years, which it took to mean that people are working more on weekends.
How it’s pronounced
/nīn-nīn-siks/
Though the term is relatively new in Silicon Valley, 996 is a “high-octane version of something that has been around in the tech industry for a while,” said Margaret O’Mara, a historian at the University of Washington and the author of “The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America.” She noted that since the 1960s, when semiconductor companies were in fierce competition, many tech firms have had intense, hours-heavy work cultures — and have been “California casual” on the outside and “old-fashioned workaholic” on the inside.
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