Our 10 most recent articles.
China’s economic recovery shows stark regional differences
The provinces most severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as most major cities in China, all saw negative economic growth in the first half of the year, according to official data on the gross domestic product (GDP) of individual provinces released last week.
05 August 2020
After the pandemic, China’s workers take another hit from widespread flooding
Tens of millions of people have been affected by this year’s devastating floods across central China, mostly in the relatively poorer provinces of Jiangxi and Anhui, as well as around Wuhan, the locus of the Covid-19 outbreak earlier in the year.
23 July 2020
Worker protests on the rise in June as wage arrears proliferate
Worker protests are on the rise again in China as businesses struggle to adapt to the new economic reality created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
15 July 2020
White collar workers face wage cuts and layoffs in wake of pandemic
One in three white collar workers have been laid off since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in China, according to a new survey by online recruitment agency Zhaopin. In addition, the majority of white-collar workers have experienced pay cuts, salary cancellations or delays in payment.
24 June 2020
As NPC opens in Beijing, China’s workers don’t feel even moderately prosperous
China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) finally opens in Beijing tomorrow after a two-month delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
21 May 2020
China’s official youth unemployment rate hits 13.8 percent in April
China’s urban unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percent in April to stand at 6.0 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced today. It was the third month in a row that the rate has stayed around six percent after jumping sharply in February.
15 May 2020
China’s unemployment rate eases slightly in March to 5.9 percent
China’s urban unemployment rate eased slightly in March, declining by 0.3 percentage points to 5.9 percent from a high of 6.2 percent in February, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced today.
17 April 2020
Workers in limbo as authorities struggle for a coherent coronavirus policy
The government's need to get the economy moving again while controlling the spread of Covid-19 has left workers uncertain of whether or not they can return to work and the dangers they face if they do.
20 February 2020
I Swallowed an Iron Moon: The enduring legacy of worker poet Xu Lizhi
Xu Lizhi died five years ago today. He left behind a remarkable body of work that chronicles not only his own frustrations and unhappiness but those of millions of other workers across China.
30 September 2019
China’s unemployment rate jumps in July as graduates enter the job market
China’s urban unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points last month to stand at 5.3 percent at the end of July.
14 August 2019