In a declaration of reciprocal tariffs, US President Trump expressed the hope that manufacturing would return to the United States. Some opinions suggest that Chinese workers are hardworking and endure hardships, making it nearly impossible for the US to replicate the “advantages” of China’s manufacturing industry. However, this notion is now being questioned as young people in China are no longer willing to work in factories.
President Trump’s desire for manufacturing to return to the United States was widely circulated on Chinese social media through a video generated by AI: American workers sweating profusely on assembly lines for sneakers and smartphones.
Some believe that the US cannot replicate China’s manufacturing industry due to the norm of Chinese factory workers working long hours, with 14-hour workdays being common, a situation that many workers in other countries cannot tolerate.
This belief is now being challenged as the younger generation in China is no longer willing to follow in the footsteps of the previous generation of migrant workers who toiled in factories without security.
This topic has been extensively covered in mainland Chinese media.
Official reports indicate that 20 to 30 years ago, working in coastal factories was a common choice for many young people. Now, this option has largely shifted towards becoming delivery drivers and couriers.
Data shows that from February to April 2020, the two major platforms “Meituan” and “Ele.me” added 580,000 riders within two months, with 40% of them being former manufacturing workers.
“In the industry that 8.2 million graduates most wanted to work in 2018, we do not see any presence of the manufacturing industry.” Zhang Weiguo, the head of the Shandong Academy of Social Sciences Economic Research Institute, stated.
“In Guangzhou, when trying to recruit workers, it’s like the people disappear when you go to buy a bottle of water,” complained a factory owner from a garment factory, pointing out the labor shortage issue that led to delayed deliveries due to insufficient staff.
Survey data from the China Machinery Industry Federation on 1,318 enterprises showed that 78.22% of companies face difficulties in recruiting workers, with nearly 23% of new skilled hired staff having a turnover rate of over 30% within 3 years.
Regarding this situation, official Chinese media attributes the main reasons to “low income and lack of freedom,” but the reality is far more complicated than this simplistic explanation.
In Chinese factories, workers’ salaries are typically composed of a basic wage combined with piece-rate pay, with the basic wage being low and heavily reliant on overtime pay, which has become a norm.
Although Chinese labor laws stipulate that the average weekly working hours should not exceed 44 hours, in many factories in China, workers often work over 100 hours of overtime per month.
In 2024, a report from the Swiss NGO “Public Eye” revealed that some suppliers of the Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein still require employees to work up to 75 hours per week, with an average daily work hour of 12. Workers in Shein factories can earn a monthly wage ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 RMB, but without overtime, the basic monthly salary is only around 2,400 RMB.
According to international labor standards, the conditions of Chinese workers fall under “forced labor,” with multiple reports from the United States calling for resistance against products made by forced labor in China.
Fu Yifeng, who worked in various major electronic factories in China’s Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions between 2018 and 2022, shared his experience of the intensity of labor in Chinese factories, noting that many people wonder why individuals who enter factories eventually do not want to continue working there.
He mentioned a conversation with a fellow worker about working in Haier. His friend remarked that even at Haier, people end up being carried out on stretchers, emphasizing the labor-intensive environment of the factory.
Fu Yifeng highlighted that the work hours are typically 12 hours a day, with the pay mostly ranging from about 15 to 18 RMB per hour. Additionally, long-term employees have their wages withheld and are afraid to object as it could lead to being assigned to more exhausting positions.
Referring to the poor quality of food in the factory canteen and the lack of personal time or opportunity to develop skills, Fu Yifeng outlined how individuals working in factories lead monotonous lives with limited prospects.
Lü Qiankun, who has worked in factories in the Pearl River Delta for many years, disclosed that labor costs are low in privately-owned factories in the region and average wages generally hover around 5,000 RMB. Workers can achieve this level of income due to extensive overtime work, sometimes working around the clock to meet deadlines, resulting in cases of sudden death from overwork.
“The lack of security is the main reason,” Lü Qiankun opined. “Retirees in rural China receive a pension amounting to just over 100 RMB, leaving individuals uncertain about their future, leading them to pursue earning money as their sole objective.”
In the challenging environment of high-intensity production lines, workers have little to no leisure time, let alone opportunities to enhance their skills or advance in their careers.
“A rate of 20 RMB per hour, working 12 hours a day on the assembly line, with no social security contributions, and being coerced to sign a so-called voluntary waiver of benefits, makes it impossible to learn anything beyond screwing bolts all day, which is exhausting,” commented an online user.
Lü Qiankun expressed that young people nowadays are reluctant to enter factories as such work does not offer the opportunity to acquire valuable skills or provide room for personal development. For many, working as general laborers in factories confines them to a life lacking in hope or prospects.
He pointed out that those currently working on factory assembly lines are primarily middle-aged individuals with minimal education or professional background, often changing jobs every few months. As numerous factories shut down, these workers are left with no choice but to return to their hometowns, leading to a dead-end scenario.
“Moreover, it’s difficult for young people working in factories to find spouses due to financial constraints, ultimately resigning themselves to a life of monotony without hope,” Lü Qiankun remarked.
Observing a trend where youths prefer to adopt a “lying flat” lifestyle and settle for the bare minimum existence rather than follow in their parents’ footsteps of factory labor, Fu Yifeng noted that this reluctance has been escalating since 2017, reaching its peak in 2018.
He highlighted areas like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dongguan as regions severely impacted by the rise of the “lying flat” phenomenon, with an increasing number of young individuals wandering aimlessly without motivation. These individuals drift from parks to internet cafes and train stations, feigning job searches while knowing they are unwilling to work.
Fu Yifeng explained that while individuals born before 1995 tended to be compliant without asserting their rights, the younger generation, especially those born after 1995 and in the 2000s, are quick to quit if faced with supervisory pressure at work.
“Many no longer strive for long-term employment due to poor wages and deductions, opting instead for daily wage jobs—where they work for a day and get paid for a day,” Fu Yifeng elucidated.
Moreover, he highlighted that long-term workers are usually individuals responsible for caring for elderly family members or sick relatives, necessitating them to endure the relentlessness of factory work for financial stability.
“Forget about striving, many have given up entirely, choosing to ‘lie flat’ and refuse to work, relinquishing all hopes for better livelihoods. They know that their efforts are futile, continually being exploited,” Fu Yifeng expressed.
Although mainland Chinese experts have proposed numerous solutions such as increasing wages, improving benefits, expanding opportunities for skill development to make working in factories more respectable for young individuals, the authorities have failed to take substantial action.
One online commentator remarked, “The blame does not solely lie with the workers for not entering factories. Enterprises, the government, and society all share responsibility, but workers are not solely to blame.”
Fu Yifeng emphasized that ultimately, the responsibility falls on the Communist Party for the current circumstances and cannot be solely attributed to capital.
Lü Qiankun pointed out that the labor departments of the government are aware of the prevailing conditions, but their inaction persists. He underscored that the low labor costs are a competitive advantage for China’s manufacturing sector, which, if lost, would result in the Chinese government lacking the financial resources to support extensive expenditure.
“There is no talk of human rights. It all comes down to the evils of the Communist Party’s system. However, the propaganda shifts blame onto capital as they eschew admitting the flaws in the system, requiring scapegoats to deceive the ignorant masses,” Lü Qiankun lamented.
According to Wang Yingguo, the lack of young people entering factories does not stem from their unwillingness but rather from the absence of security in most current factory environments.
“If Western companies go to Shenzhen and Dongguan to recruit workers, people will flock in, including at Foxconn, which hasn’t stopped the influx. The problem is not the scarcity of workers but the relative lack of secured opportunities in factories,” Wang Yingguo emphasized.
Wang Yingguo stressed how the Chinese social system has concentrated significant resources in the hands of authorities, leaving ordinary citizens devoid of power or resources, reducing individuals to mere laborers for survival under the ruling of the Communist Party.
“The Chinese factory’s survival is threatened by exploitation from authorities, causing their downfall. Even if companies intend to provide assurances, they are unable to do so, leaving the welfare of workers unsecured, resulting in the factory’s demise,” Wang Yingguo added.
Lü Qiankun noted that the Communist Party will never genuinely represent the interests of the people and only releases minor gestures of ‘kindness’ when political stability is at risk, highlighting this as one reason for the party’s inaction.
“People aspire for every worker to have dignified work and life. However, without systemic change, there is no hope for improvement,” Lü Qiankun concluded.
Wang Yingguo reflected on the contrast between Western workers who have benefits and social security in their jobs, supporting families and ensuring a cycle of human resource movement and returns. In contrast, under Xi Jinping’s rule in China, power is centralized, transforming workers into slaves working merely for survival rather than living, prioritizing their and their families’ immediate needs.
Lü Qiankun underscored that China’s purported manufacturing advantage largely came from the increase in technological transfers and orders from multinational corporations following China’s WTO accession. As foreign trade expanded, so did consumption and investment, forming the economic foundation for China.
He observed that post-pandemic, many small and medium-sized factories in the Pearl River Delta remained closed or delayed reopening even months or half a year after the Spring Festival. This trend indicated a lack of orders preventing factories from resuming production or the outright closure of factories.
“In the Pearl River Delta economic region, external trade is paramount. If foreign trade falters, everything else follows suit,” Lü Qiankun concluded.
Amid escalating trade tariffs, the pain inflicted on the Communist Party of China has led to the closure of many enterprises heavily reliant on foreign trade orders. Numerous foreign companies have relocated to Southeast Asia, abandoning China entirely, prompting questions on where China’s manufacturing advantage lies.
In the absence of external trade support, the Chinese economy is expected to regress, with industries facing closures and workers encountering unemployment without new technologies or processes to drive an upgrade in the manufacturing sector amid widespread shutdowns and job losses.
“In the face of an escalating trade war, the collapse of the Chinese Communist Party’s economy is imminent, as without adequate economic output, the party will inevitably crumble,” Lü Qiankun warned.