New trends for migrant workers

Salary may be the key factor in the labor market for migrant workers, but it is not the only thing that matters. For many of these people working far away from home, expectations of their job and of a way of life are changing.

Two of the biggest concerns for migrant workers are whether the employer abides by the labor laws and if their business is stable. They've got to be cautious, since there are factories that do not even provide the basics. Some workers choose to look for temporary jobs.

A migrant worker said, "There are employers who have run way without paying months of salary. We received nothing." Many of the migrant workers are not asking or much. A migrant worker said, "10 hours a day, 1,6000 or 1,700 yuan a month, not so much overtime."

With more and more people born in the 80s and 90s entering the work force, employers have noticed changes in ideas and concepts among migrant workers. For them, living conditions, leisure time, and social security are as important as the salary itself.

A migrant worker said, "We live in a room with over ten people. We hope for a room with 4 or 6."

"No spare time, no time for dating."

"Some factories don't have insurance, we want to work in the ones that have."

These young workers are better educated than their predecessors and are not satisfied with simple work. That may explain why the companies are having more difficulty filling vacancies for basic jobs. However, employers can complain and reminisce about the good old days when migrant workers were simpler and less demanding, but the reality is they will have to face a new generation of workers that are more sophisticated and rights-conscious.