Skilled workers in short supply

Despite the fact that the supply of migrant workers exceeds the demand of the job market, skilled workers are still hard to find, said the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Thursday.

Yang Zhiming, deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, told a State Council press conference that the growth rate of the number of migrant workers has slowed down.

The number of migrant workers in China was 269 million nationwide in 2013, up 2.4 percent on 2012. Migrant workers accounted for 81.8 percent of construction workers, 73.6 percent of the workers in the manufacturing industry, and 67.4 percent of workers in the service industry. The percentage of migrant workers in high-tech enterprises and the service industry has seen an increase in 2013, according to Yang.

Monthly income on average has also seen a rise from 2,290 yuan ($376.47) in 2012 to 2,609 yuan in 2013. Those working in East China are paid 10 percent more than those in central and western regions, said the Ministry.

"It is difficult to hire general workers, which reflects the limited supply of migrant workers. Despite China upgrading and restructuring its industrial base, there are difficulties in recruiting enough skilled technicians to work in these fields," Yang said. Inadequate job-related skills hinder job-hunting and career development for migrant workers, he said.

In response, more government-sponsored training in practical skills will be offered to younger migrant workers. About 10 million workers will benefit from the training every year.

Businesses and industries with a larger percentage of migrants in their workforce will be encouraged to hire more staff with preferential policies on taxes and subsidies.

There will also be support, such as guarantee loans of 50,000 to 100,000 yuan, to each migrant worker who launches start-up businesses back in their hometowns. The number has exceeded two million, most of whom began their entrepreneurship in family farms, according to Yang.

"The new generation, born in the 80s and 90s, now account for more than 70 percent of all migrant workers. In comparison with their forebears, they show a stronger desire to integrate into urban life, but there are major obstacles, such as health insurance coverage and equal education for their children," Yang said.

Wang Qian, a senior official with the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said at the conference that the medical record network would cover more than 50 percent of China's provincial-level regions in order to ease access to medical services at different regions for the floating population.

The nation will also expect another 18 provinces and municipalities to allow children of migrant workers to sit the national college entrance examinations in 2014 at places where they do not hold household registrations. More than 4,400 students successfully sat the exam in 12 provinces and municipalities without household registration in 2013, said Du Kewei, a senior official from the Ministry of Education.