Decoding The Contradictions Behind The Labor Shortage In Wenzhou'S Footwear Industry

On January 20th, December 27th, in the afternoon of December 27th, the employment and guidance service center of the labor and Social Security Bureau could accommodate thousands of job seekers. Only 20 job seekers were wandering. In the center of the hall, the electronic display screen of more than 20 square meters was rolling hundreds of recruitment letters in red text, but there were few "spectators".

Service center records showed that the number of applicants for registration was only 28, which was reduced by more than 2/3 from more than 100 registered in the same period last year.

The "new village" employment agency is the ten year old shop in this service center.

Lin Lili, the head of the company, pointed to the recruitment information on the desktop, saying: "so many jobs have not yet been recruited. Compared with previous years, the market is obviously deserted this year."

Cold and clear, sending a signal - this year Wenzhou industrial labor shortage situation still exists, and it seems to have intensified.

Phenomenon

Labour services

Arrive two months ahead of schedule.

In the "new village" introduction, Wenzhou Tamar

Chen Ping, a 26 year old Hubei native, is one of the few job seekers in the service center that day.

This is the third time he has come here to look for work in a week.

After wandering around for a while, he still did not find his favorite post.

"These jobs need to work for more than 12 hours a day, overtime is too long, and wages are less than 2000 yuan."

He said he plans to find jobs in the cities near his hometown next year.

"The labor force's off-season this year is two months ahead of schedule."

Lin Lili said.

From her store's business records, the reporter saw that the number of job seekers recommended to the enterprise in November last year was 634, compared with 484 in November this year, a decrease of about 23.6%.

According to the data from the service center, in November this year, the total number of employment demand registered by the centre was 12647, with a shortfall of 7516 applicants and a shortfall of nearly 60%.

Contradiction

Labor-intensive industries

Trapped in employment

Over the past year, Wenzhou has been faced with a severe test of labor shortage.

"From the trend of development in recent years, there may be fewer workers in the field in the future, and labor employment in Wenzhou may be even more intense."

Wang Ouxiang, director of the employment guidance service center, said.

The registration form of labor exchange in the service center shows that from 1993 to 2009, the number of job seekers registered in the center showed a trend of "reverse V", which rose from 1993 to 2001, increasing from 65 thousand and 700 in 1993 to 514 thousand and 500 in 2001, and decreasing to 182 thousand and 400.

Wang Ouxiang believes that because of family planning, the number of new generation of migrant workers is significantly lower than that of the previous generation. At the same time, with the development of the rural areas and the central and western regions, as well as the pfer of Eastern industries to the central and western regions, migrant workers can get jobs at home. In addition, the cost of living in the eastern coastal cities is rising, and the migrant workers are unable to bear the pressure of life and choose to leave.

"Next rural and Midwestern cities will further develop, and the output of rural surplus labor will be less and less."

On the other hand, the total demand for jobs registered in the service center is increasing. Wang Ouxiang said: "the enterprises that registered and recruits in our center in the past few years are mainly enterprises in Lucheng district. In the past two years, Lian Leqing, Dongtou, Cangnan, Pingyang and other counties have also come here to recruit people, and the demand for labor is increasing."

Zhou Dewen, President of Wenzhou SME Development Association, said that Wenzhou's industry is mainly labor-intensive light industry, and its dependence on labor force is very large. The shortage of employment for several years has made Wenzhou small and medium-sized enterprises feel the development pressure of labor-intensive industries.

In the general trend of decreasing total number of migrant workers, Wenzhou staged a war against the labour resources of the Pearl River Delta region.

In the process of competition, Wenzhou's industry has been weak.

Zhou Dewen said that the wages of the Pearl River Delta cities are about 15% to 20% higher than that of Wenzhou workers. Some of the migrant workers who worked in Wenzhou had already moved to the Pearl River Delta.

"Labor-intensive light industry profits have been very low, and enterprises are unable to raise their wages."

But if wages are not raised, businesses will have to wait for the labor force to dry up.

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Way out

Adjust the existing industrial structure

Changing the mode of economic growth

The deep contradiction exposed by labor shortage is the problem of irrational industrial structure and backward economic growth mode in Wenzhou.

"Demographic dividend is gradually weakening, and the labor market is changing from buyer market to seller market. Buyer's market must obtain labor through raising labor force price.

The era of economic development depends on cheap labor is coming to an end.

Zhou Dewen believes that the Pearl River Delta and other places in advance of industrial restructuring, reducing the proportion of labor-intensive industries, through this way to weaken the dependence on a large number of labor force, on the other hand, they change the mode of economic growth, use technology and brand to improve product value-added, thereby increasing the product's profits.

With high profits, enterprises are naturally able to raise wages for their employees.

In order to solve the shortage of labor, in the long run, we must adjust the industrial structure and pform the mode of economic growth.

Kangnai group is an old shoe manufacturer in Wenzhou. It is also a large employer. There are more than 3000 employees.

Chen Zengxin, deputy secretary of the Party committee and chairman of the trade union, introduced that the company attaches great importance to creating an environment for retaining people, creating a good atmosphere for work and living for employees from various aspects such as living conditions, development platforms, spiritual culture and humanistic care.

At present, the stability rate of employees is above 95%.

In the long run, they are stepping up their pformation and upgrading to high-end manufacturing and high-end brands.

In recent years, the company has continuously introduced advanced production lines abroad, improving the quality, environmental protection and energy saving level of the products, as well as OEM for the world's top brands.

"Only when the profit margin is large, can we have more investment in building good labor and employment conditions."