China jobs: labour demand shows signs of heating up as chip makers scramble to find talent
- China’s internet sector, electronics and semiconductor industries are showing strong demand for labour following the Lunar New Year
- New job opportunities are clustered in mega cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as Hangzhou and Guangzhou
China is witnessing strong demand for labour in semiconductor production and advanced manufacturing, as well as the hospitality and aviation sectors, according to a new report, indicating that economic activities are slowly returning to normal after recent coronavirus outbreaks and the Lunar New Year holiday.
Companies are eager to hire new talent following the country’s reopening in December after three years of on-again, off-again Covid restrictions that crippled business confidence.
A report published this week by Liepin, a Chinese recruitment and headhunting website, said the internet sector, electronics and semiconductor industries have topped the rankings of job openings based on data it had collected.
These industries had the highest share of new job posts in the week after the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday, which ended on January 28, accounting for 7.4 per cent and 6.2 per cent of job posts, respectively.
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“Apart from real estate and the financial and construction sectors, talent in all other industries is in short supply,” the Liepin report said.
Restaurants and dining services were among the top recruiters last week, according to Liepin, as people are keen to enjoy dine-in services that were only resumed recently after Covid restrictions were dropped.
In the first working week after the Lunar New Year break, the number of applicants in the hospitality industry surged by 67 per cent compared to the same period last year, the fastest growth among all industries, according to the report.
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New job opportunities were clustered in mega cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, which accounted for 12.6 per cent, 10 per cent, 9.5 per cent of new job posts, respectively, followed by Hangzhou and Guangzhou.
Since the country dropped domestic travel restrictions in December and lifted mandatory quarantine for inbound travellers last month, the tourism and aviation sectors also saw big hiring booms, state media said.
As air travel returns, Chinese airlines are also expanding new hires in preparation for the restoration of international air travel.
On Wednesday, Spring Airlines became one of the first Chinese carriers to host offline recruitment events since the pandemic started.
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Major Chinese airlines including China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Xiamen Airlines have all posted new job vacancies since last December, after China announced it would reopen borders on January 8.
Economic recovery is one of the top priorities of the central government this year, but China faces a number of economic headwinds.
Weak consumption, the possibility of a rebound in Covid cases, high youth unemployment and troubles in the property sector could slow down the pace of recovery.
China also has to tackle growing international competition and rising geopolitical tension, with trade relations one of the most significant obstacles to growth prospects.
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A record high of 11.58 million college students are set to graduate this year, further compounding job market tensions.
China’s urban surveyed jobless rate stood at 5.5 per cent last December, down from 5.7 per cent in November, but the jobless rate for the 16-24 age group remained at an elevated level of 16.7 per cent in December, down from 17.1 per cent in November.
