Job fairs brought to migrant workers' hometowns

NANCHANG - Hundreds of people packed a room at a job fair in eastern China's Jiangxi province last month where dozens of firms from the coastal province of Zhejiang, to the northeast, sought recruits.

In the past, people left towns in small inland counties like Shangrao, where the job fair was held, after Spring Festival for jobs in more developed coastal regions. But this year, the jobs came to them.

"It is a hard competition to find ideal workers nowadays," said Hu Zhiliang, who headed the enterprise delegation from Zhejiang. "We need to be proactive, and we cannot just wait for them to come to our doors."

Hu brought 16 companies to Jiangxi for a series of job fairs last month.

There are around 280 million rural migrants working in China's big cities, but as businesses in counties and towns grow, many are turning to jobs closer to home.

"We plan to recruit about 200 people this year and are still 40 workers short," said Zeng Xiaowei, general manager of a company making copper pipe and fittings in Zhejiang.

Part of the competition comes from companies in smaller population centers, which have been offering more job opportunities in recent years.

"I am not that curious about the coastal enterprises coming to our county to hire workers," 24-year-old college graduate Zheng Xiaoping said at the job fair in Shangrao."Our hometown is getting better and better, and more people are choosing to stay."

Fueling the trend is a narrowing salary gap between inland and coastal regions.

"The basic monthly salary at inland factories was around 1,000 yuan($149) five or six years ago, but now the salary is nearly 2,000 yuan, and a worker's total income can reach 4,000 to 5,000 yuan," Zheng said. "That puts the salary gap at just around 1,000 yuan, and with some job positions, there's no gap."

Going to local companies also means workers do not have to be far from their families.

Lai Shuangshou, 43, quit his job and returned to Shangrao in August. He is now looking for a position at a local company so he can attend to his family, even if he might earn less.

"I had night shifts and long working hours at my last job," Lai said. "But local companies usually take better care of our accommodation needs and children's schooling."

For local companies, working conditions have become an important factor to lure workers.

At a job fair held by Jiangxi Holitech Technology, recruiters were often asked about Wi-Fi in dorms, commuting arrangements and skills training.

"Employees' needs have diversified," said Sun Guangke, the company's human relations manager. "They care about not only the money but also work hours, living conditions and work environment."

Jiangxi Holitech has recently built a basketball court, and it provides home appliances like air conditioners and water heaters in the dorms.

"It doesn't matter if the salary is low at the moment," said Zhong Fangyong, a 22-year-old job hunter. "I want to find a technical post where I can learn things and have greater room for personal development."

Xinhua