Recently, the Economic Observer reported on the new phenomenon of spring recruitment in the manufacturing industry: factory recruitment is no longer as "scramble" as in previous years, which directly affects the employment prospects of tens of millions of migrant workers. In the past decade, the manufacturing industry has reportedly provided more than 27 percent of the jobs for 300 million migrant workers, but now the demand for spring recruitment in factories has fluctuated, putting more pressure on migrant workers to find jobs.
The article cites the case of Tian Hui, a migrant worker from Dongguan who said that over the past few years, the gradual reduction of overtime opportunities in factories, coupled with the fact that factories have taken four days off and three days off, has led to lower wages and increased job instability. This change is also reflected in the situation in Tian Hui's village, where the business of the chess and card room is not as good as before, and the time for fireworks and firecrackers has been greatly reduced.
The article further pointed out that a number of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises reported that this year's spring recruitment has been differentiated compared with previous years, recruitment is more cautious, and the mobility of general workers is also weakening. This trend is particularly pronounced in coastal areas such as Guangdong, where some companies have adopted four-day off work arrangements due to reduced orders, resulting in reduced hiring needs.
At the same time, salaries have also declined. The article mentions that Tian Hui's salary has basically not increased in the past few years, and overtime opportunities are becoming less and less. Officials at other companies also said that the increase in wages of general workers was much lower than in the past, and factories were on rotational leave due to reduced orders, making wages more unstable.
However, some companies are not optimistic about the employment prospects in 2024, and generally have a wait-and-see attitude, and even believe that keeping their jobs is already a success. This attitude reflects the current challenges facing the manufacturing industry, especially in the face of declining order demand and overcapacity, and factories are more cautious in their hiring plans.
At the same time, some migrant workers began to choose to stay in their hometowns for employment. In Guangxi and other places, the ** department has held a number of recruitment activities, attracting a large number of migrant workers to return for employment. Some companies also said that although the salary package of local factories is not as good as that in coastal areas, it is relatively stable and less mobile, attracting more local personnel.
All names have been changed).