(ECNS) -- The number of people working in China's booming delivery service sector reached 2.03 million in 2015, with less than one percent earning more than 8,000 yuan (1,230) per month, a new report shows.
The report, said to be China's first professional study of courier workers, was based on data from Cainiao, the logistics arm of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, as well as field visits to leading domestic delivery service providers.
The report found that salaries are composed of a basic wage and piecework payments, and that most deliverymen earn between 2,000 yuan and 4,000 yuan a month.
Nearly 80 percent work 9 to 10 hours a day, and 12 hours for some. The largest demographic for delivery people is men aged between 20 and 30 years old.
Nearly 80 percent hold a rural hukou, or household registration system, which can prevent them from enjoying equal access to services in the cities where they work.
It also said that workers in the sector face a lower social status, higher occupational risks, a tough working environment, and general skills that are relatively low.
Cainiao's Chief Technology Officer Wang Wenbin said that in order to boost sustainability in the sector, more respect of grassroots service providers are needed.
