August 7, 2013
Translated by Tian Shaohui

The demand for laborers in Shandong, China’s second most populous province, is currently 22 percent higher than supply.

The number of workers in the province stands at 704,000, while positions offered by companies and factories number 864,000. According to Shandong’s Human Resources and Social Securities Department, the provincial capital of Jinan has the biggest supply-demand gap with 172 positions for every 100 laborers; with Qingdao, Liaocheng and Yantai not far behind.

“An absolute labor shortage is impossible,” said a commentator for the local broadcaster Qilu.com. “It’s just that the enterprises can't find qualified workers or they can't retain talent.”

Employers are craving workers with technical expertise or at least experience in their respective fields. However, those who could potentially fit the bill have very high demands.

Like much of China, Shandong has been dealing with the paradox of both a labor shortage and "the toughest job-hunting season" in history. China’s rapidly aging population is seeing millions of workers reach retirement age. At the same time, the record numbers of young Chinese graduating from college who might otherwise replace these retiring workers are increasingly unwilling to settle for blue-collar work. Even though the white-collar job market has been unable to employ all these graduates, many continue to wait and rely on their parents’ support rather than accept a job that doesn’t meet their liking.

Furthermore, Shandong is suffering from shifting migrant labor patterns. Against the backdrop of regional economic restructuring, laborers from China’s rural interior are finding more opportunities to work closer to home. This is allowing them to forgo the migration to Eastern coastal provinces like Shandong that once thrived on migrant labor from poorer regions.

Links & Sources
Economic Observer : 人口大省山东现用工荒,缺口近两成
Qi Lu.com: 山东毕业生遇最难就业季 择业难与用工荒并存
Qi Lu Evening News: 济南春季招聘会开幕 “用工荒”“就业难”并存