China’s Weak Economy Leaves Rural Migrant Workers Jobless After Holiday

Factory slowdowns and limited job openings force some workers to return to their hometowns, while others stay in the cities despite facing unemployment.
China’s Weak Economy Leaves Rural Migrant Workers Jobless After Holiday
Migrant workers stand near signs advertising their skills as they wait by a street to be hired in Shenyang, in northeastern Liaoning Province, China, in this file photo. AFP via Getty Images
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China’s struggling economy is leaving many rural migrant workers unable to find jobs after the Lunar New Year holiday, prompting a new wave of workers returning to their hometowns, while others remain in major cities despite unemployment.

Interviews with workers and videos circulating on Chinese social media suggest that many people who traveled to large cities along China’s eastern coast in search of employment have failed to secure stable work weeks after the holiday.