Factories are desperate for workers

Following the article published last week, we continue to explore the upheavals in the Chinese labor market.

We are pleased to present a second article by Xavier, this time dedicated to the labor shortage in the manufacturing sector.

Good reading,

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Following our article on “over-old” migrant workers, “excluded” from construction sites and factories after reaching the age of sixty, here we are interested in the younger generation of workers in China, especially those working in the manufacturing sector. In effect, this generation, concerned about better working conditions, seems to be the key to solving the labor shortage equation in certain segments of the Chinese manufacturing industry

What is the extent of this labor shortage? ?

The labor shortage is now pushing Chinese factories to do everything to attract the younger generation to the production lines. The National Bureau of Statistics indicates that in 2021, 44 % of manufacturing companies experienced recruitment difficulties, what makes hiring their main problem. According to figures given recently by the CCTV channel 2 (CCTV Finance), the manufacturing sector is going to be hit hard from here 2025, because the talent shortage (talent gap) may concern 30 millions of people.

In the manufacturing sector, the gap between a strong supply of jobs from factories and a weak demand from workers highlights an inversion of the balance of power between the manufacturing sector and a service sector that now captures the vast majority of workers, especially the youngest. This inversion explains a new phenomenon : that of factory bosses who go so far as to “beg to hire workers” (The boss asks for a part-time job).