China's changing labour pattern

Overview

Services have become the key to the Chinese government’s ability to achieve its high employment target. Despite the manufacturing boom, they are the major source of non-farm jobs, and the sector is set to play an increasingly important role in job creation. This is part of a marked change in employment patterns that has occurred since the launch of economic reform in 1978, in terms of composition as well as regional distribution.

Concerned about job creation as it is, the government...