there is no overall shortage of labor — rather, there is a shortage of

“Basically half the factory was shut down and one dormitory was
empty,” Ms. Gallagher said.
In interviews, factory executives across the country complained
of being forced to give double-digit raises in order to find and
keep young workers at all skill levels. Three or four years ago,
said Zhong Yi, vice general manager of a leather-jacket
manufacturer in Hangzhou in east-central China, 800 to 1,100 yuan a
month ($105 to $145) “was a good salary.”
“Now,” he said, “1,500 is the bottom” ($198).
Chinese officials are quick to say that there is no overall
shortage of labor — rather, there is a shortage of young workers
willing to accept the low wages that prevailed in the 1990s.
Factories in cities like Guangzhou advertise heavily for young
workers, even while employment offices con.....