It is reported that factories in Guangdong are struggling to recruit workers. Employers set booths in street, and increase salary a lot. But there are fewer and fewer young people are willing to work in a factory. The reasons why the shortage happens are as follows in my opinion.

1. Poor wok conditions

Young generation grows up in a much better environment. Benefit from rapid economic growth, the life has become much more cozier than their father generation, grown up with hungry and poverty.

While the work condition in most factory is too unbearable. I have visited some factories for business. Really the job in a production Line is extremely hard, many workers continue work for hours busily, even cannot have one minute rest. Even if need to go to restroom, before that the worker need find another one to replace the position, other wise the rest will affect the whole production line. The worse is that many factory even don’t have efficient air conditioning in summer. The workers have too bear the heat and nosy machines. Most of job in a production line is very simple and just repeat. For e.g. some workers just stick labels to boxes, then repeat that for the whole day. It is very boring and cannot earn any work skills which is useful for better future jobs.

2. The salary is not good enough

The world has been complaining for years for increasing salary of Chinese workers. But are Chinese workers really very expensive?

I am afraid that the answer is no. Over 90% factories’s month salary is around 2300 yuan (US $320), which is for 40 hours a week, 22 days a month. So if no overtime work, the salary even cannot support basic life expenses. Actually almost every factory need work overtime and the workers even have to accept that if they want to ensure basic life. I talk with lots factory workers, find out that they normally work at leat 12 hours a day, sometimes even much longer than that in peak seasons. Plus payment of overtime work, a work can earn around 6000 yuan ( US $900).

Consider the work condition, and such long work time, I do think the salary is not good at all. In China, the price for essentials keeps increasing. Three meals a day cost at leat 40 yuan (US $6), and the most burden is housing. First tier city house price is the same expensive as developed counties’ like Los Angels, Tokyo, etc.

3. Factory work is disrespected.

As above, the factory job is hard but poorly paid. Working in a factory is consider as poor and don’t have a good future. Girls don’t want to marry a factory worker, her parents don’t as well.