Beijing labor shortage hampers business

Beijing is facing an acute labor shortage, with positions in the IT and manufacturing sectors unfilled, according to a report cited by Tuesday's China Daily. In the first six months of 2014, Beijing companies will have 556,000 new positions, while the labor supply in the capital is less than half of that at 218,000, according to the report by the Beijing Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. The Qing-Feng Steamed Dumpling Shop chain in Beijing has struggled to find more workers after a spike in popularity following a surprise visit to one of its restaurants last December by President Xi Jinping, said Zhu Yuling, general manager of the chain's holding company, Beijing Huatian Restaurant Group. Zhu said that they must increase salaries to attract more workers. According to the report, the average monthly salary for workers rose by 1,000 yuan (163.6 U.S. dollars) during 2013. Chen Yu, vice president of the China Association of Employment Promotion, said that an imbalance in educational priorities, with a greater focus on academic subjects, accounts for one factor in the labor shortage. "In a general sense, the output of our schools and universities doesn't match the qualities today's employers need," Chen added. Chen suggested the government improve employment policies and make information about job skills more easily accessible.