FACTORIES have resorted to taking on part-time workers in a rush to complete Spring Festival orders with a large number of migrant workers returning home earlier than last year.
Clothing factories had the strongest demand for the part-time workers, the Shenzhen Evening News reported.
Although part-time workers were paid more and were not as skilled as full-time employees, many companies had no choice, said a woman, surnamed Liu, who is in charge of recruitment in an electronics factory in the Shatoujiao Bonded Zone.
Liu said a total of 180 employees had left since December last year, 85 percent of whom said they quit to go home for the Spring Festival.
A pay rise failed to keep employees, who insisted on returning home for the festival, Liu said.
Many clothing factories kept regular contact with foremen of part-time workers in case they were needed.
A migrant worker surnamed Huang from Henan Province, who worked in an electronics factory, said she used to go home two or three days before the Spring Festival when it was hard to get train tickets, so she decided to quit and go home early to spend more time with her family.
Homesickness and the increasing cost of living in Shenzhen had driven many migrant workers home.
A Hubei worker surnamed He could hardly save any money with his wife on a monthly earning of 3,600 yuan (US$547) in Shenzhen, the paper said.
The couple decided to return to their hometown to find a job because the cost of living was much lower.
Under pressure from the lack of staff, many companies in the Shatoujiao Bonded Zone set up recruitment booths on the street, offering more than 1,000 jobs.
However, there were few applicants. (Li Hao)
