Meaning:

    Literally meaning “high-salary fleas,” the term is used to describe job hoppers lured by higher pay. The image of a flea is used because a flea can hop very high considering its small size. The term was first coined in 2006 at an international college leaders’ forum held in Shanghai to refer to renowned professors who frequently shift jobs lured by higher pay.

    Example:

    A: 明天下班我们老同学聚会，叫上小李吧。

    Míngtiān xiàbān wǒmen lǎo tóngxué jùhuì, jiàoshàng xiǎolǐ ba。

    We old classmates will have a gathering after work tomorrow. Let’s call Xiaoli.

    B: 他不在深圳。他现在在一家美国公司的广州分公司。

    Tā bùzài shēnzhèn。Tā xiànzài zài yījiā měiguó gōngsī de guǎngzhōu fēn gōngsī。

    He is not in Shenzhen. He is now working for the Guangzhou branch of an American company.

    A: 这是他毕业后的第三份工作了吧？

    Zhè shì tā bìyè hòu de dìsān fèn gōngzuò le ba?

    Is this the third job he took after graduation?

    B: 是啊，他真是个高薪跳蚤。

    Shì a, tā zhēn shì gè gāoxīn tiàozǎo。

    It is. He’s always changing jobs for higher pay.