Article

2005-04-04 China-Japan-Koreas

Help Wanted: China Finds Itself With a Labor Shortage

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Posted by ed 2005-04-04 11:53|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The shift, which experts say will happen gradually, began last year and is a result of two decades of strict family planning, which has made China one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world.

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." - ISAAC NEWTON

Posted by BigEd 2005-04-04 1:51:32 PM|| 2005-04-04 1:51:32 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Why don't we send every Mexican illegal we catch crossing into the US to China to help out there. They can work in Chinese factories making cheap crap to be sold by Walmart and Disney and dozens of other stores in the US. Sounds like a win-win for all involved.

Posted by Tibor 2005-04-04 2:10:58 PM|| 2005-04-04 2:10:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 It's not a labor shortage. It's a sign that as China develops, the range of jobs available is improving rapidly. In a non-union economy, this means that the stories of China's economy growing in leaps and bounds are accurate. This kind of thing has happened in many countries in the Far East before. China will eventually have to move out of low value clothing and shoes, due to competition from lower-wage countries. (It will still subcontract, but the low value stuff will be out of its reach for cost reasons). It may well come to pass that a Made in China label on clothing will become as rare as a Made in Taiwan label is today on apparel.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2005-04-04 2:53:21 PM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-04-04 2:53:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Labor shortage? Nah...wishful thinking. Some reporter's idea of an "angle" on a story.

Posted by gromky 2005-04-04 4:28:16 PM|| 2005-04-04 4:28:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 During my last trip to China a few years ago, I saw the standard huddle of migrants (in Guangdong) around the bus terminals for buses coming in from other provinces, waiting for recruiters to show up. I don't really see what the labor shortage is all about. I think the big issue isn't labor shortages - it's inflation, which is causing wages to be bid up. The boomtowns of coastal China are becoming (relatively) expensive places to live, which is why migrants from outside these boomtowns are asking for more money. Manufacturers (domestic and foreign) are taking note, and moving their operations into the interior, where land and labor are cheaper, offset by higher transportation costs and supply chain difficulties. The difficulties of moving inland cannot be understated - many may choose to move their operations to Cambodia or Vietnam rather than move into the interior.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2005-04-04 5:17:20 PM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-04-04 5:17:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Either that, or a large amount of airport building projects....

Posted by Pappy 2005-04-04 9:03:45 PM|| 2005-04-04 9:03:45 PM|| Front Page Top

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