InfoAnda - 1 worker's struggle for a factory job in China

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

China removes top leadership contender Bo from post | | 15 March 2012
Madonna returns to Malawi on charity trip | | 6 April 2010
Pope ashamed, outraged by Irish sexual abuse | | 11 December 2009

Skype recovering but still down for 20 percent of users | | 24 December 2010

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : 1 worker's struggle for a factory job in China

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Singapore Asia Pacific World Search Search: 1 worker's struggle for a factory job in China By WILLIAM FOREMAN,Associated Press Writer AP - Friday, February 13 DONGGUAN, China - Xian Yuguo has a tattoo on his left arm with the Chinese character for wealth. But the 20-year-old was growing worried as he competed for a job with tens of millions of laborers in China's increasingly wobbly economy. ADVERTISEMENT He had heard a tip about work at a toy factory in this industrial city. Time was running out. "I've only got about 400 yuan" _ $73 _ "in my pocket, just enough to last me a week," he said, being bounced around in a crowded bus speeding down a southern China highway. "If I don't find something by then, I've got to go back home and just hang around my family's tangerine farm." It was Xian's fourth day on the road during China's peak job-hunting season, when millions of rural workers migrate back to factory towns after the Lunar New Year holiday. How they fare at finding jobs will be a key barometer of just how badly the global economic crisis is hitting China. In past years, laborers were snapped up in the industrial zones of Guangdong province, often called the world's factory floor. But the once ravenous appetite for Chinese-made goods is shrinking: China this week said its exports plunged 17.5 percent last month from a year earlier. About 20 million of China's 130 million migrant workers lost their jobs last year, the government said. "It all started in the U.S.," said Xian, whose short muscular body and blue warm-up suit made him look like a gymnast. "The Americans messed things up, and we just need to cope with it." Jobs still exist, particularly for the skilled. But Guangdong's labor bureau has warned that of the 9.7 million migrants expected to flow back to the province, 2 million would have a slim chance of finding work. Many carry only enough money to last about a week, raising fears of a surge in crime by roving groups of jobless migrants lingering in the cities. There also are fears of instability in the countryside if restless unemployed workers return home. "The social pressures will be enormous in 2009," Pieter Bottelier, an economics professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, said at a recent conference in Washington, D.C. And wages are falling from boom-time levels, meaning workers will have to settle for less. At a job fair in Dongguan, one of Guangdong's biggest manufacturing cities, recruiters sat behind large sign boards plastered with help-wanted notices from factories that make everything from iPods and furniture to Adidas and Reebok sneakers. Zhang Ni, a willowy 23-year-old migrant, wasn't impressed. Most jobs were paying the minimum wage of 770 yuan ($113) per month. Zhang, from central Hubei province, wasn't ready to go that low, even though she had already been searching for five days and was almost out of cash. In the past couple years, Zhang found work in a day or two because she has five years of experience in electronics plants. "I used to work in a factory making flash drives for 1,600 yuan a month," she said. "Now I'd be happy to get 1,200 yuan. Before I came here, I was offered a job for about 700 yuan a month at a shoe factory in another city. I can't accept that. I'd rather go home." Employment agent Meng Jinping accused her and two friends of being too picky. "I've already told you about several jobs. There's plenty of work. You just don't want to do it," he said. But after the women shuffled away, Meng acknowledged that many entry-level factory jobs don't really offer a living wage. Hundreds of thousands of workers arrive daily in Guangdong's capital, Guangzhou, once known as Canton. Most arrive by train from the frigid northern provinces, stepping into the subtropical weather still dressed in parkas and long underwear. Xian, the worker with the "wealth" tattoo, arrived after a 15-hour bus ride from his village near the Vietnam border. Xian said his job search began at a cosmetics factory that a friend said was hiring. But the plant was only paying about 800 yuan ($118) a month _ a wage he found insultingly low _ and he wouldn't get his first paycheck until he worked for three months, he said. Another friend gave him a tip about a position at a factory making women's handbags, but it only paid 20 yuan ($2.90) a day for eight-hour shifts. "That's what people got paid in the 1980s. This is a new era. I'd rather go home than accept anything below 1,000 yuan a month," he said. "These factories think they can pay us less because of the financial crisis." Xian traveled with four of his boyhood friends. The thin young men looked like a touring boy band with their moppy hairdos, tight black jeans and clingy T-shirts. Xian was the leader, and the other guys took turns carrying his small black suitcase. After two days in Guangzhou, they followed another tip that a toy factory in Dongguan was hiring. They boarded a bus packed with groggy workers. Once in Dongguan, the men checked into the shabby Golden River Guesthouse, sharing two rooms that each cost 10 yuan ($1.50) per night. The bathroom consisted of a plastic bucket under a faucet and a toilet on a balcony. The building was littered with used plastic takeout food containers. Trash was dumped in the stairwell. The next morning, Xian walked a few blocks to the toy factory. A tattered white sheet of paper glued to the front gate said the plant was hiring entry-level workers between the ages of 18 and 35 with a junior high education. The notice said applicants had to be able to "eat bitterness and endure hard labor." After a 15-minute interview, Xian emerged with the news he could move into the factory dormitory in the evening and begin work the next morning. "I'm getting paid 1,200 yuan ($175) a month. It's OK, just above my bottom line," he said. His friends were hired by a nearby plant making electronics parts. They celebrated with a breakfast of soybean milk and rice noodles. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article Average (0 votes) Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: China's Economy Protectionism 'absolute evil', says Japanese ministerAFP - 1 hour 22 minutes ago FACTBOX-Issues to be raised on Clinton's Asia tripReuters - 1 hour 46 minutes ago New Zealand house, retail sales slowAP - 1 hour 49 minutes ago Emerging debt-Asian spreads widen; Indonesia bond sale eyedReuters - Friday, February 13 Related Articles: Business FOREX-Yen, dollar fall broadly as regional shares riseReuters - 56 minutes ago JGBs capped by Nikkei but bleak economy view helpsReuters - 58 minutes ago Australian Senate passes stimulus packageAFP - 58 minutes ago Turkey - Factors to Watch on Feb 13Reuters - 58 minutes ago TOPWRAP 1-Australia passes stimulus, G7 leaders gatherReuters - 1 hour 1 minute ago Related Full Coverage China Economy china economy All Full Coverage Most Popular – Business Viewed Merrill bonuses made 696 millionaires: probe British armed police swoop on cowboy party ABB annual net profit drops to 3.1 bln dlrs Crisis shakes steel, auto, oil sectors Indian woman has football-sized tumour removed from jaw View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Friday, 13 February 2009
U.S. airbase in Kyrgyzstan locked up in limbo | International |
U.S. warns of space dodgeball after satellite crash | International |
Joaquin Phoenix Makes Disastrous "Letterman" Appearance
Russia NATO envoy says alliance needs Moscow's help | International |
Colombian ambush kills seven, 15 more wounded | International |
Google exits broadcast radio ad business | Technology |
U.S. tweaks Internet privacy guidelines | Technology |
Netflix passes 10 million subscriber mark | Technology |
Google plans data center at old Finnish paper mill | Technology |
Feb 12 Highlights Of Low Points In U.S. Economy
Nevada Leads U.S. Home Sales While Prices Drop To Record Low
67 Computers Missing From Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons Lab
Former New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici Subpoenaed In Attorney Firings Probe
Oil Refiners Slow Down Production To Keep Prices Of Gasoline Up
Racist 1908 Incident In Abe Lincoln's Hometown Led To Formation Of NAACP On 100th Centennial Of His Birth
Retailers Expect Weak Valentine's Day Spending
American Idol boots off Joanna Pacitti | Entertainment |
Michael Shannon finds Oscar nod nice, life strange | Entertainment |
Thirst for learning defies forced marriage in film | Entertainment |
Barat rules out Libertines reunion right now | Entertainment |
U2 gets week long gig on David Letterman show | Entertainment |
Just A Minute With: Doubt Oscar nominee Viola Davis | Entertainment |
67 Computers Missing From Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons Lab
67 Computers Missing From Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons Lab
Vatican Accepts Darwin's Theory Of Evolution Compatible With Christianity
Murder Charge For Mom Who Dropped Baby In Lake Pontchartrain
Racist 1908 Incident In Abe Lincoln's Hometown Led To Formation Of NAACP On 100th Centennial Of His Birth
Retailers Expect Weak Valentine's Day Spending
On Darwin's 200th Birthday, Less Than 40 Percent Of Americans Believe In Evolution
Australian man charged over deadly bushfires | International |
US envoy prepares for key Afghan talks
Pakistan says it arrests Mumbai attack plotters | International |
U.S., France, UK oppose suspending Bashir Darfur case
Final count leaves Israel with election headache | International |
Cruise-in In Daytona
Hamas agrees truce, announcement within 48 hrs: report
North Korea assembling longest-range missile: report | International |
Netanyahu ahead in battle for Israel's helm: observers
Dozens feared dead in US plane crash
Cuba's Fidel Castro doing well: Chilean president | International |
8 more Shiite pilgrims killed by Iraq bomb attack
Ex-Somali president's son set to become PM | International |
Family income linked to child language skills: study
U.S., France, UK oppose suspending Bashir Darfur case | International |
Hamas says Gaza truce deal expected in next 3 days
US scientists defend Darwin from attacks on evolution
Tibet's religious life still bruised by Lhasa riots | International |
Reformist candidate slams Iran's hard-line leader
US lawmakers gird for stimulus showdown
Slumdog turns spotlight on Mumbai's biggest slum | International |
Final count leaves Israel with election headache
Economic crisis top US security concern: intel chief
Cleaner waters attract sharks to Sydney beaches | International |
Moderate party holds edge in final Israeli count
Sudan dismisses Beshir ICC charge as 'rumours'
Obama hails Lincoln's legacy on bicentennial
Lincoln text urging unity sells for 3.4 mln dlrs
UK celebrates 200th Darwin anniversary
Microsoft to open own stores, take on Apple | Technology |
US retail sales stage surprise rebound
U.S. tweaks Internet privacy guidelines | Technology |
U.S. video game sales show continued strength | Technology |
US plane crashes into home, burst into flames
Google plans data center at old Finnish paper mill | Technology |
Pennsylvania County Judges Plead Guilty To Wire, Tax Frauds
Continental Plane Crashes Into New York Home, 49 Killed
YouTube renews music video deal with Sony Music: sources | Technology |
Obama Vows Justice For USS Cole Victims, To Transfer Bombing Mastermind To U.S. Prison
U.S. Navy In Second Seajack Bust, Arrests 9 Suspected Pirates
"Mortal Combat" videogame maker seeks bankruptcy protection
Iran nuclear arms bid unclear: US intel chief
Microsoft Seeking Worm Source, Offers $250,000 Reward To Informant
Royal watchers can track British Queen on website | Technology |
YouTube testing video downloads
Iridium says in dark before orbital crash
Southwest Airlines Plane Catches Fire, Makes Emergency Landing In Las Vegas
New York City Should Consider Four-Day Work Weeks, New IBO Reports Says
World economic crisis is top U.S. security threat
YouTube renews music video deal with Sony Music: sources
Sen. Judd Gregg Withdraws From Commerce Secretary Consideration
Congress sets final votes on stimulus for Friday
U.S. video game sales show continued strength
New Unemployment Claims Fall In First Week Of February
40 job cuts as Google exits broadcast radio ad business
Wall Street Pares Losses On Home Loan News
More Americans updating status online: Pew
Freed Ukrainian cargo crew back on land
Online retail spending falls in 4th qtr: comScore
Italy's right-to-die woman buried in native village
Microsoft offers reward to catch worm maker
Britain refuses entry to far-right Dutch MP
NASA scoops up Twitter award for Mars 'tweets'
Russia wants 'fully fledged' ties with NATO: Medvedev
Cuba gets its own twist on Linux
YouTube renews music video deal with Sony Music: sources
Facebook, Nokia look to bring social network to mobiles
Dreamgirl Hudson dominates NAACP Image awards | Entertainment |
Madonna the top-earning musician of 2008 | Entertainment |
Friday the 13th looks to top long weekend | Entertainment |
Eminem's Bottle breaks download record | Entertainment |
Short movies make big Oscar splash | Entertainment |
Indonesia to extradite pedophile suspects
Da Vinci Code author sees secret revealed | Entertainment |
Suspect charged in deadly Australian fire
Andre Rieu, king of waltz, fiddles his way to stardom | Entertainment |
Australia arrests arson suspect after deadly fires
Hollywood eyes more play dates with toy industry | Entertainment |
Report: Man charged with arson in Australia fire
Slumdog turns spotlight on Mumbai's biggest slum | Entertainment |
North Korea reportedly assembling longest-range missile
Chinese police arrest 17 in drug trafficking bust
More civilians flee war zone as Sri Lanka snubs Britain
Army creates new 'safe zone' in Sri Lankan war
Call for calm as Australia hit by more shark attacks
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Surfer injured in second Sydney shark attack
Cigarettes still burning holes in Austrian ban
Protectionism 'absolute evil', says Japanese minister
Serbia's Roma fight poverty with education
Seoul shares end up 1 pct; techs, autos rise
"Dreamgirl" Hudson dominates NAACP Image awards
Dell awards technology education grants in India, Brazil and Mexico
Estelle Bennett, member of The Ronettes, dies
New Zealand house, retail sales slow
Short movies make big Oscar splash
Telecom 1st half profit down 60 pct
Andre Rieu, "king of waltz," fiddles his way to stardom
Taiwan dollar barely changed, mkt wary over c.bank
Spain's Adria unveils food of tomorrow
Nissan reviewing alliance plans with Chrysler
Dada and surrealist masterpieces make US stop
"Friday the 13th" looks to top long weekend
Korea Hot Stocks
1 worker's struggle for a factory job in China
Powerful earthquake hits Indonesia, 42 injured
Seoul shares open flat; Hana falls after results
Female bomber kills 32 on Iraqi pilgrimage route | International |
Obama's dream of bipartisanship takes hit
U.S. offers Moscow concession on missile shield | International |
Iraq suicide bomber kills dozens of Shiite pilgrims
Eurozone recession 'deepens with record GDP drop'
Female bomber kills 32 on Iraqi pilgrimage route
Algeria twin bombings kill seven: APS news agency | International |
Jennifer Hudson Wins Three Gongs At The NAACP Image Awards
Turkish army reportedly kills 13 rebels in north Iraq
Russia says deal near on UN monitors in Georgia | International |
Britney Spears' Paparazzo Ex-Lover Adnan Ghalib Under Investigation For Trying To Run Over A Man With His Car
India welcomes Pakistan probe, wants terror camps shut | International |
Hu launches China's largest gift to West Africa | International |
Tibet's religious life still bruised by Lhasa riots | International |
Telecom industry faces moment of truth | Technology |
Kenya, Turkey, Japan lead mobile money trend | Technology |
Nokia, others target mobile software sales | Technology |
Nokia, others target mobile software sales
Telecom industry faces moment of truth
Nokia extends "Comes with Music" phone lineup
Chicago Condo Developers Auction Units To Reduce Inventory
Los Angeles Eyes New Gun Control Law
One Of Nation's Largest Magazine Distributors Closes Doors, Lays Off Undisclosed Number Of Employees
Nokia, others rush for mobile software sales
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Warns Of Up To 25 Percent Fare Hike
Nokia extends "Comes with Music" phone lineup
Public Utility TVA Slashes Electric Rates For 9 Million Customers, Also Suspends Executive Bonuses
President Offers Condolences To Victims Of Continental Plane Crash
Pelosi, Reid Formally Invite Obama To Speak Before Feb. 24 Joint Session
Housing Crisis Resulting In 1 Vacant House For Every 9 In The U.S
Bush To Give First Post-White House Speech In Canada
Intelligence Chief Identifies Global Economic Crisis As Top Threat To U.S.
Pakistan presses India over Mumbai investigation
Duds outweigh discoveries at Berlin film festival | Entertainment |
Myanmar extends detention of opposition leader
India welcomes Pakistan prob
Thai PM: Myanmar migrants were sent back to sea
Australia debates controlled burns
Report: 2 sentenced to death in India drain murder
Suspect charged in deadly Australian fire
Japan, Sweden hold bailout lessons for US
Dung is key to tracking elusive Cambodian tiger
Nissan, Chrysler 'put joint projects on hold'
Malaysian government faces critical by-elections
Pakistan says economic problems easing
Pakistani stocks rise 4.2 pct on accounting waiver
Love among the stars: Celebs share Valentine plans
Japan, Sweden hold bailout lessons for US
Duds outweigh discoveries at Berlin film festival
Scorsese plans film on early Japanese Christians
Pakistan economic problems easing, says PM adviser
HK stock index climbs over 2 percent
Japan economy seen shrinking at 10 pct pace in 4Q
Air France reports heavy loss, reduces staff
G7 finance chiefs meet in Rome amid recession storm
Former rebel gunned down in Indonesia's Aceh
Octuplets' Doctor Has Another Patient In Her 40s Expecting Quadruplets
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01