Advertisement
Advertisement
SCMP Economy Series

China jobs: inside the world’s biggest workforce

This series look at how China finds jobs for close to 900 million people, of whom 350 million are migrant workers and some 10 million are new graduates each year.

Updated: 18 Aug, 2021
China jobs: inside the world’s biggest workforce
Advertisement
[1]

Explainer | How does China find jobs for 900 million people?

China has a workforce of close to 900 million people, of which 350 million are migrant workers and some 9 million are new graduates this year.

26 Jul, 2021
China’s once-a-decade population census showed that, in 2020, there were 894.38 million people in the age group between 15 and 59. Photo: Xinhua
Advertisement
Advertisement
[2]

Is China’s retreat from state sector reform holding back job growth?

As China seeks to upgrade its economy, some observers are worried that state sector reform has stalled, threatening new job creation and the pace of economic growth.

27 Jul, 2021
After China’s landmark accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, private companies began to take over as the country’s dominant employers. Photo: Reuters
[3]

China’s factories fight to attract young migrant workers as population ages

For a new generation of Chinese migrant workers, low-paid and labour-intensive factory work no longer has the same appeal as it did for their parents.

28 Jul, 2021
Some traditional manufacturing industries are finding it more difficult to find employees as the nation’s migrant workforce shrinks and ages. Photo: Reuters
[4]

China’s working mothers find careers and children often do not go hand in hand

China has done away with its decades-long restrictive child policies, but women are finding limitations still exist in the form of workplace challenges and career impediments.

29 Jul, 2021
Structural and social barriers in Chinese society continue to challenge mothers in their quest to level the corporate playing field. Photo: AFP
[5]

Why are China’s fresh grads now saying no to high-paying ‘996’ jobs?

Skyrocketing living costs and mounting uncertainties in China’s job market make the situation unbearable for those who desire security and reasonable working hours that the private sector may not offer.

30 Jul, 2021
Many young Chinese people are embracing the shang’an movement, which literally means ‘going onto the shore’ and refers to a growing desire to seek stable civil service positions. Illustration: Brian Wang
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x