In recent days, the private retail enterprise Pan Donglai in Henan province has initiated a recruitment process, releasing 900 job positions, which attracted over 130,000 applicants. This means an average of 145 people competing for one position. At the same time, as the production of Apple’s iPhone 17 begins, Foxconn in Zhengzhou is witnessing a surge in the number of workers seeking employment. Analysts point out that these two events once again reflect the intense competition in the job market in mainland China, highlighting the difficulties faced by ordinary people in finding employment.
Currently, it is increasingly challenging for the people in mainland China to find jobs. On the morning of August 23, Pan Donglai, a well-known private retail enterprise in Xuchang, Henan, officially started its recruitment process. Due to the overwhelming number of applicants, the recruitment system quickly encountered delays, causing temporary paralysis. Official data shows that a total of 132,000 people registered for the recruitment, out of which 83,000 completed the submission, but only 2,988 made it to the subsequent rounds. This means that not even one person out of every hundred applicants may secure a job.
Comments on social media platform Douyin reflected the sentiment of some netizens, with one expressing, “Working 39 hours a week, earning a monthly salary of 9,000 yuan, state-owned enterprises are not as generous, no wonder so many people want to join.” Another netizen mentioned, “Even if state-owned enterprises offer high salaries, they are mainly given to internal staff.”
Mr. Wang from Jiangxi, in an interview, acknowledged that against the backdrop of mass unemployment among the people, Pan Donglai’s high-paying recruitment offer indeed stands out. He remarked, “Pan Donglai is suddenly recruiting nearly a thousand people, and offering 9,000 yuan per month, which many find unbelievable. It’s a big deal these days to earn 9,000 yuan in a month, causing quite a stir online. I think it’s more of a gimmick. Ten years ago, even security guards didn’t earn up to 10,000 yuan, and 3 to 4 thousand was considered good.”
This recruitment drive covers positions such as salespersons, security guards, cleaners, bakers, etc., with reserved quotas for retired soldiers and released prisoners. Pan Donglai’s founder, Yu Donglai, responded on his personal account, “There may be shortcomings in technology, but we have made every effort to ensure fairness and believe in the sincerity of Pan Donglai.”
Ms. Liu from Henan remarked to reporters that the monthly salary offered by Pan Donglai seems astronomical to the average person nowadays. She said, “With 130,000 people competing for 900 positions, this competition is even fiercer than civil service examinations. The key is the high salary, and the company has to pay for the employees’ social security and housing provident fund, which adds up to about 30% on top of the 9,000 yuan base salary, making the cost quite significant.”
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, Pan Donglai is known for its high salaries and humane policies: after tax, employees receive a monthly salary of about 9,000 yuan, work no more than 36 hours per week, and are entitled to at least 40 days of annual leave. Based on current social insurance and housing fund payment policies in mainland China, if the base salary after tax of 9,000 yuan is considered, the company still needs to pay for employees’ endowment insurance (16%), medical insurance (6%), unemployment insurance (0.5%), work-related injury insurance (0.2% to 1%), maternity insurance (1%), and housing provident fund (5% to 12%, with 8% being common).
Meanwhile, at the Foxconn industrial park in the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone, with the mass production of Apple’s iPhone 17 underway, the factory urgently needs a large number of grassroots workers. An announcement from Group A recruitment indicates a basic salary of 2,100 yuan, with overtime pay, return fees, and allowances totaling income ranging from 19,200 to 23,000 yuan over three months, with an hourly wage of up to 26 yuan.
On the morning of August 18, outside the recruitment center in the park, there were long queues stretching several hundred meters, and the scene was bustling with people. Staff mentioned that they have to interview thousands of people daily. The human resources department revealed that 70% of the applicants are returnees who had previously worked there; among the newly recruited workers, 80% are young adults aged 18 to 35, with 95% coming from the local area of Henan.
Mrs. Li, a resident of Huaxian in Henan, told reporters that her daughter also applied for a job at Foxconn. She said, “I have waited in line for my daughter too. She has been working outside for years and no longer knows how to do farm work. I heard that working at Foxconn could earn her more than 20,000 yuan in three months, much better than doing odd jobs in the county town.”
Many videos posted by netizens show that the dormitories at the Foxconn industrial park are already overcrowded. Some people commented, “During the busy season at Foxconn, you can earn more than 20,000 yuan in three months, so everyone is scrambling. It’s not a choice, but a lack of choice.” Another netizen commented, “Finding a job is too difficult; getting into Pan Donglai is lucky, going to Foxconn is out of necessity. If I can’t get into Pan Donglai, I’ll go to Foxconn, but it’s also difficult, seeing hundreds of people standing in line, and only working for three months.”
However, there are differing opinions as well. A male laborer from Zhengzhou told the reporter that although the busy season work at Foxconn is tough, at least “after three months, you can earn more than 20,000 yuan, better than idling in your hometown.” Another job seeker who had been rejected in Pan Donglai recruitment mentioned, “The high salary is undeniable, but the number of positions is too limited. Most people who are genuinely looking for work end up going to Foxconn.”
Zhengzhou scholar Tang Hua analyzed that there is a clear structural contradiction in the current labor market in mainland China: on one hand, the overall employment pressure continues to rise; on the other hand, high-paying and stable positions are scarce, leading to a situation of “many monks and little porridge.”
She further pointed out that the popularity of Pan Donglai indicates the young generation’s desire for “high salary + human care,” while the long lines at Foxconn reflect that grassroots workers have no choice but to enter factories with high labor intensity and high mobility for their livelihood. “Taiwanese company Foxconn has shifted some production lines to India; this mass hiring is due to rushing the production of Apple’s new phone, it’s a temporary arrangement. I am concerned that against the backdrop of the global industrial chain shift and domestic economic downturn, even the last bit of employment opportunities in the mainland will gradually disappear.”