(ECNS) -- Applicants for blue-collar jobs and wages saw a strong surge after the end of Lunar New Year with 16 percent growth in average salaries for package couriers in Beijing and Shanghai, according to a report from an employment ad website.
The report by Chinese classified advertising website 58.com showed the number of job applicants rose nine times on average in six cities during the first week of the new lunar year – rising 11.4 times in Chengdu, 9.8 times in Chongqing, 9.6 times in Shenzhen, 8.7 times in Beijing, 8.1 times in Guangzhou and 7.8 times in Shanghai.
The top five fields for jobs seekers are technicians, drivers, sales, restaurants, and in administration and logistics.
Job markets vary according to cities, said the report, with Chengdu and Chongqing reporting strong demand for restaurant workers, an increase of 1.8 times from the previous Spring Festival holiday. Employers raised salaries nearly 20 percent over the same period last year.
The report also shows masseuses, maids, beauticians and cooks from Chengdu and Chongqing are increasingly leaving for Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou following the holiday.
Monthly salaries for masseuses in Shanghai rose to 18,563 yuan ($2,700), a nearly 50 percent growth year-on-year. In Chengdu, the occupation offers an income of about 8,246 yuan a month.
A recent survey by 58.com also found about 9.2 percent of respondents have quit their previous jobs and nearly 40 percent plan to make a change.
