China’s factories are back. But consumers aren’t.

The manufacturing giant is turning out steel and cellphones again, as its factories hum back to life. But empowering consumers might be harder, now that they are reluctant to spend after job losses, pay cuts and the threat of a resurgence of the virus.

Retail sales plummeted almost one-sixth in March from a year earlier. And satellite imagery shows that Chinese industrial areas emitted much less light this spring than they did a year ago — a sign that fewer building sites may be floodlit for 24-hour construction and that fewer factories may be operating around the clock.

Even a generation of young people accustomed to a strong economy, and known for their American-style shopping sprees, is now taking a thriftier approach.

What’s next: Economists have urged China to help consumers, which other countries have done with spending programs. Beijing has been reluctant to do so because of its debt concerns.