Jobs closer to home

After years of rapid economic development in the eastern parts of China and in the nation’s coastal cities, more and more young people from western China are staying put and choosing to work near their hometowns instead of leaving their families far behind.
Cities in the western regions of China are now attracting local people and jobseekers from the east with opportunities and higher wages.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of migrant workers in East China was about 90.8 million in 2009, a drop of about 8.9% from the previous year. On the other hand, the number of migrant workers in western China increased by 35.8% to 29.4 million.
English People’s Daily Online reports that large electronic manufacturers including Foxconn, Quanta and Inventec have already expanded their factories south-west, and others are set to follow.