Most people in Beijing have now started their lunar new year holiday, but the capital's head hunters are still hard at work. Since China unveiled the "Made in China 2025" plan last year, the race between recruitment companies and professional networking websites to snap up the best manufacturing talent is on.
The Chinese New Year is just around the corner - always a good time for a career makeover and new resolutions, isn't it?
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey was conducted by interviewing a sample of some 4,200 employers in China.
It shows that Chinese employers report some opportunities for job seekers this quarter. Let me break down some of the figures for you. While 10 percent of employers forecast an increase in staffing levels, 3 percent anticipate a decrease and 44 percent expect no change, resulting in a net employment outlook of a 7 percent rise.
In terms of company size, medium-size employers report the strongest hiring plans with a net employment outlook of plus 10 percent.
Outlooks of plus 9 percent and plus 8 percent are reported for large- and small-size employers, respectively. Manufacturing - traditionally not the most attractive of all industries - is also pooling more talents.
At the China office of the world's largest professional networking platform LinkedIn, which counts some 400 million plus members around the world, Chinese job seekers are scanning the horizon for new opportunities - many of them in the manufacturing industry.
"If China wants to become a manufacturing power, there are three types of talents that are sought after. First of all, people with technical skills are needed," said Cecilia Wang, head, Linkedin Think Tank.
"Secondly, more educated factory workers and engineers are required. Thirdly, the talents most needed at the moment have to be very versatile. Because innovation and creativity in the industry is a big trend and calls for diversified skills and talents from every sector and background."
Official data shows the registered unemployment rate in Chinese cities held steady at 4.05 percent at the end of 2015, unchanged from three months earlier.
China created 13.12 million new jobs for urban residents last year, exceeding the official target of 10 million.
Last year, China's State Council unveiled a ten-year national plan, "Made in China 2025", designed to transform China from a giant into a world power in the manufacturing sector.
It comes as Chinese factories struggle with oversupply, increasing international competition, and slower economic growth.
Global employment services firm ManpowerGroup however says the plan will take time to feed into the job pipeline.
The company's first quarter 2016 Employment Outlook Survey showed employers in the manufacturing sector, the mining & construction sector and the finance, insurance & real estate sector all anticipate a mild hiring pace, with increases of 6%, 5% and 2%, respectively.
While some are busy making "New Year of the Monkey" resolutions to land a new job, some prefer stability and status quo:
"The work environment and the mood at my company are very good. I'm very happy. I hope to continue my services for this company over the next couple of years," said Li Na, financial firm employee.
For the manufacturing industry, the challenge remains to attract new talent while also retaining experienced personnel, not only until 2025, but beyond.
