Comments on: The Chinese Labor Force http://calpolymbatrip.com/2007/china/the-chinese-labor-force/ The MBA Graduate Program at Cal Poly Fri, 18 May 2012 17:21:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Adib Assassi http://calpolymbatrip.com/2007/china/the-chinese-labor-force/#comment-1352 Adib Assassi Mon, 12 Feb 2007 04:25:16 +0000 http://calpolymbatrip.com/2007/china/the-chinese-labor-force/#comment-1352 I think that one fact that may get lost in the mechanization process is that the majority of the jobs that are being lost are menial. By this I mean that it is most likely the simple, basic and repetitive type jobs that are being lost. Nevertheless, they are jobs. I believe that this will slowly begin to change as the education level rises. So many people in China currently have only a basic education. Consequently, they have no choice but to take these simple jobs. The reason that so many people are uneducated, I believe, is that China has been playing catch-up with the west for the past decades. However, now China has closed the gap, and it is now beginning, as the article states, to invest in educational programs. And it won’t be just for farmers. I’m sure that China will begin to invest in overall public education across the nation. As the education level slowly rises, people will not find themselves out of work, nor will they find themselves being replaced by machines. I think that this is an investment that the Chinese government must and will make. The higher the education rate, the more this will benefit the nation as a whole. It is the government’s responsibility to provide means of education for its people. If China does not do this, then I believe its growth will start to decline. Currently, China can produce so much do to the massive population of workers that it has which other nations don’t. If all these workers remain uneducated, then most certainly their tasks will ultimately be replaced by machines. I think this is a great opportunity for skilled and specialized foreigners to find jobs in China. Companies can hire them and bring them in to China in order to train and teach the Chinese people what they know from their experiences in their industries. I don’t think there is a need to panic that Chinese jobs will be lost. As China begins to emphasize and invest in education, people will have new opportunities and will find new jobs. I think that one fact that may get lost in the mechanization process is that the majority of the jobs that are being lost are menial. By this I mean that it is most likely the simple, basic and repetitive type jobs that are being lost. Nevertheless, they are jobs. I believe that this will slowly begin to change as the education level rises.
So many people in China currently have only a basic education. Consequently, they have no choice but to take these simple jobs. The reason that so many people are uneducated, I believe, is that China has been playing catch-up with the west for the past decades. However, now China has closed the gap, and it is now beginning, as the article states, to invest in educational programs. And it won’t be just for farmers. I’m sure that China will begin to invest in overall public education across the nation.
As the education level slowly rises, people will not find themselves out of work, nor will they find themselves being replaced by machines. I think that this is an investment that the Chinese government must and will make. The higher the education rate, the more this will benefit the nation as a whole. It is the government’s responsibility to provide means of education for its people. If China does not do this, then I believe its growth will start to decline. Currently, China can produce so much do to the massive population of workers that it has which other nations don’t. If all these workers remain uneducated, then most certainly their tasks will ultimately be replaced by machines.
I think this is a great opportunity for skilled and specialized foreigners to find jobs in China. Companies can hire them and bring them in to China in order to train and teach the Chinese people what they know from their experiences in their industries. I don’t think there is a need to panic that Chinese jobs will be lost. As China begins to emphasize and invest in education, people will have new opportunities and will find new jobs.

]]> By: Chris Carr http://calpolymbatrip.com/2007/china/the-chinese-labor-force/#comment-1061 Chris Carr Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:56:19 +0000 http://calpolymbatrip.com/2007/china/the-chinese-labor-force/#comment-1061 Good post. My bet is on Vietnam as the next country where cheap labor will move. This article ties into what Prof. Ramezani said about labor and technology moving in a number of ways. As just one example, yes, people in China, and a lot of them, will be displaced as things become more mechanized, but what is "supposed" to happen is that they develop new, other skills that will move them to better jobs, and China, up the technology ladder and China in turn produces more high end goods such as top notch cars rather than cheap watches and neckties. This was the pattern in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The difference, of course is that China has to do this with roughly 200 to 400 million people/workers (depending on whose head count you believe).  I am glad I am not the government official in Beijing who has to make this happen.  He/she surely has or will have the mother of all ulcers. And yes, I would live and work in China in a heartbeat. Good post.

My bet is on Vietnam as the next country where cheap labor will move.

This article ties into what Prof. Ramezani said about labor and technology moving in a number of ways. As just one example, yes, people in China, and a lot of them, will be displaced as things become more mechanized, but what is “supposed” to happen is that they develop new, other skills that will move them to better jobs, and China, up the technology ladder and China in turn produces more high end goods such as top notch cars rather than cheap watches and neckties.

This was the pattern in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The difference, of course is that China has to do this with roughly 200 to 400 million people/workers (depending on whose head count you believe).  I am glad I am not the government official in Beijing who has to make this happen.  He/she surely has or will have the mother of all ulcers.

And yes, I would live and work in China in a heartbeat.

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