Skills shortages in China cause for concern?

Nearly all Chinese employers are concerned that a lack of quality talent has created a severe skills shortage that will negatively impact operations this year.

According to a survey by global talent recruiter Hays, 97 percent of 1,200 Chinese employers polled said that they are "struggling to find the skilled individuals and the situation is worse than ever." As a result, more Chinese employers are willing to look for talent from outside the country. This is contrary to what is typically preferred because local talent is much cheaper. 

However, when it comes to key development areas, many companies are accepting the higher costs of hiring mid- to high-level management talent from outside China. This issue has been spotlighted by the sudden resignation of Chen Xiangli, who was the former president of the GE Technology Center in China.

For more related to talent shortages across the APAC region, see: The 2017 Hays Salary Guide