After the Lunar New Year, it was another wave of migrant workers leaving the countryside to work. The difference from previous years is that before the Spring Festival, many traditional labor-intensive provinces such as the Southeast and South China have seen labor shortages. In provinces such as Hubei and Sichuan, where labor exports are large, the local government and hardware companies have introduced more measures to “reject” migrant workers. From this, we may hear the footsteps of the Chinese hardware industry's westward advancement.

The new generation of migrant workers has already been very different from their predecessors. They are rushing into the city. They are looking for more than enough food and clothing, and they hope to have more gains. The employment and treatment provided by the traditional hardware manufacturing industry is not enough to attract them to leave their hometowns. This may be another major impetus for the transformation and upgrading of the coastal low-end hardware manufacturing industry.

With the quiet changes in the Chinese economy, and the fact that the new generation of migrant workers are unwilling to do physical work ... ... the "shortage of labor" in the hardware industry has become increasingly fierce. To solve this problem, small and medium-sized hardware companies still have a long way to go.

The new generation of migrant workers do not want to do physical work. "I will turn mechanics, locksmiths and welders, and the wage requirement is around 2,500 yuan." Wang Xiaohe, 22, of Shiliuhe said that working hours cannot be too long and cannot be too dirty and too tired. Ideally a small lathe factory." Xiao Wang’s family has 4 brothers and sisters. He ranks young and old, and his parents and sisters have been working outside in the past few years. "Our family is rural but can live in a big house. TV refrigerators and washing machines are all complete." He admitted that his home was in good condition and he hadn't eaten anything. The 22-year-old spent three days in the labor market but never found a suitable job.

Wang Zhongwu, a professor of sociology at Shandong University, said that the new generation of migrant workers is more knowledgeable than the previous generation and has higher requirements for pay, benefits, personal health, and development prospects. Now that many young rural people do not do farm work, they are also very fashionable to wear, and lifestyles and ideals have all been urbanized. However, individual capabilities are far from the high-end job market. Complex labor cannot afford it. "The reduction in new generations of migrant workers has also increased the 'labor shortage'."

There are two reasons for the large liquidity impact on business orders in the coastal areas in 2011: First, labor force exporters are reluctant to allow young and vigorous migrant workers to work outside; second, most of the current employees are second-generation migrant workers. The purpose of their work is mainly to experience the life in developed areas. There are many ideas and instability, so the liquidity of these workers is great.

If they are close to home, their wages are not much different. They prefer to work in their hometowns or start their own businesses.

Most hardware companies in Ningbo have controlled the turnover rate of workers within 10%. The turnover rate of hardware workers in Ningbo is generally 20%-25%, while the turnover rate of small and medium-sized hardware companies can reach 40%.

The labor force is sufficient and we have a large choice of orders. If there is a lack of labor, orders received will be limited. The impact of excessive labor force on some small factories is very obvious. If the number of workers is small, they cannot take orders. If they do not take orders, the remaining workers will also go. Therefore, even if they lose money, they must start work.

The wave of salary increases: High-tech is just around the corner in 2010. The market has been “up” and has spread from the agricultural and auxiliary industries to the equipment manufacturing industry. The rise in consumer goods indirectly raised labor costs. Since May, Guangdong Province has adjusted the minimum wage standard for employees, and domestic companies have begun to face the most severe “rising salary increase” in the recent 30 years. Labor-intensive hardware manufacturing companies are trapped in the wave of salary increases. Under this circumstance, the hardware company made great efforts to find a way out of business management and changing business models.

After seeing that the labor force is no longer dominant, Yongkang, the Chinese hardware capital, turned to invest in technological innovation and use intelligence. For example, a company engaged in the manufacture of RVs, based on the original models, has become a smart car through automatic design and modification, and the selling price has increased from 70,000 yuan to 400,000 THB; the integrated ceiling of Jiaxing has passed technological innovations. In just a few years, it has developed into a leading industry with a production value of several billion yuan....

Technological innovation is the main reason why companies are invincible. China's hardware companies through technological innovation, hardware products can also support the high-tech signboards, and quickly lead the development of an industry, after comprehensive strength has been raised, the wage increase of workers will not bring much impact.

Labor shortage is a new phenomenon that has emerged in recent years. It is the new phenomenon with the most Chinese characteristics. On the one hand, it is the most populous country. On the other side, companies cannot recruit people. It exposed the irrationality of our previous policies and urgently needed adjustments.

According to industry insiders, from the perspective of conventional thinking, the “shortage of rural workers” means that the supply of labor is less than demand, and the market will spontaneously increase the level of equilibrium wages based on the game between supply and demand. However, the facts show that low-end simple labor suppliers are not valued by companies because of their strong substitution, and wage levels are still low. There is nothing wrong with pursuing the maximization of profits for enterprises. Therefore, the “shortage of migrant workers” cannot expect enterprises to solve unilaterally, and it is necessary to have the active intervention and guidance of the regulators.