Posted on 03/13/2010 12:38:58 PM PST by Kozel89
American David Levy, who runs a factory making electric cables in Dongguan, has witnessed the generational shift in China's work force. He described the first waves of migrants, who planned to send most of their money home and eventually return to their village to build a house.
"Fifteen years ago, the expectation was: a place to work, a salary and then they didn't care much about anything else. Life was just going to suck for a couple of years," he said.
Photos of his factory workers from five years ago document the generational change. None show workers with the wild mop-top hairstyles that are popular now, he said.
"Their demeanor is also different," Levy added. "They can actually look the boss in the eye when they're talking. They don't cower when the boss comes around. They're becoming more and more like American workers. I like that." (Yeah, right!)
.... Wages have risen by 10 percent recently in the Pearl River Delta, according to a survey released this month by Stephen Green and Kelvin Lau, economists at Standard Chartered.
The salary hikes are unlikely to lift the prices of Chinese exports high enough to make factories in the U.S. and the rest of the West more competitive.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
A very important article. China will thus soon become “too expensive”, and low-cost-oriented foreign manufacturers will start praising Mongolia as the next frontier. :)
And when they run out of “cheap places,” then what?
And this is why there is a good chance communism in China will either be watered down further, or give way to a more democratic society. The communist leaders are treading water real fast to maintain the right balance of prosperity and control over its people in an ever changing society. As Lech Walesa and Mikhail Gorbachev would understand, "Good luck with that!"
A beginning of the end... ?
There are many poor countries ready to pick it up.
By the time they have shifted the jobs around the world they figure you'll be desperate enough to work for 2.00 a day in the states. ;-)
Then globalism will have run its course, and manufacturing may return here, since it will be no more expensive than anywhere else.
I still think that will be a while yet though.
North Carolina grew because the Yankees in Massachusetts got too expensive
Now the Yankees have moved to North Carolina. They sure talk funny.
What's American about him?
This traitor expatriated himself a long time ago.
Wow.....someone who gets it.
Old men must get sick and die. Then there can be greater change. The progress toward some unknown is slow but inexorable.
Pretty soon they’ll have to import Mongols to do the jobs Chinese workers just won’t do.
There are many poor countries ready to pick it up.
Very well stated. I had never looked at it quite that way. Thanks for the insight.
Not Mongolians. Population only about 2.6 millions which is too small for a viable manufacturing work force.
What Chinese are doing is importing Bangladeshi and Nigerian guest workers.
They are kept in compounds/ghettos and immediately sent home after expiration of labor contracts.
Sort of like the old Bracero program.
and manufacturing may return here
Yeah, but at least the expertise (and money) stayed in the U.S. Now both are gone and this country is receiving the "benefits" of Global Competion (aka A Race to the Bottom).
The alcohol problems in Mongolia will likely interfere with companies wanting to rely on the work force there.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.