The "ant tribe" in urban villiages is soon to disappear, replaces by low-income white collars. Photo:xkb.com.cn
According to a data provided by local housing agencies, the average rental prices of appartments in Guangzhou has jumped 10.9 percent year-on-year. With such a significant increase in the price of rents, the existence of Guangzhou's "ant tribe" is a risk.
The "ant tribe" is a Chinese expression which designates young graduate students from outside of Guangzhou who come to the city in search of fortune but who often end up taking temporary and low-paid jobs. They live in appartments shared amongst many other youngsters with similar ambitions so as to lower livings costs.
Advisers believe the main explanation for the rise in rental prices is due to a surge in the number of new graduates arriving in Guangzhou this year combined with the destruction of the urban villages who previously provided a great number of cheap appartment to rent. With increasing prices, many believe the "ant tribe" is soon to disappear, replaces by low-income white collars.
Some analysts say that this social phenomenon announces the end of an industrial model based on labor intensive industries in coastal regions. Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics maker, has accelerated the relocation of ifs production base to Tianjin, a inland city with a lower minimum wage.
To leave or not to leave, that is the question for every migrate worker in Guangzhou.
(By Robert Wang, David Keyton)
