Increasing optimism regarding the Chinese economy as well as the global economy has generated a six year high in hiring plans within mainland China. Employment service provider Manpower Inc. reports that over thirty percent of Chinese employers plan to increase their workforce in 2010. This is approximately a twenty percent improvement over last year’s figures. The growing demand for labor is not limited to major cities, as more and more foreign companies are expanding further into Western China.
The hiring increase comes amidst growing employee frustration regarding poor pay and wretched working conditions, highlighted by a recent string of suicides at electronics manufacturer Foxconn. “The increasing hiring demand could result increased competition and a worsening of labor conditions,” said Scott Garner, Direct of Lehman, Lee & Xu Shanghai Office.