Chinese migrant laborers are aging and demanding higher wages

BEIJING, April 30 (UPI) -- Migrant workers who form the pillars of Chinese manufacturing are aging, becoming more educated and are demanding higher wages, according to a quarterly survey from China's statistics bureau.

The migrant workforce also continued to grow but at its slowest rate in 2014 to 274 million, reported The Australian, up 1.9 percent from 2013.

The average age of migrant laborers rose to 38.3 in 2014, up from 35.5 five years earlier, reported Bloomberg. Those 50 or older rose to 17 percent, also up from 13 percent in 2010.

Meanwhile, the number of migrant workers under the age of 40 continued to decline, with more workers between the ages of 16 and 30 choosing to stay in inland cities near their hometowns. Just a third of migrant workers were under the age of 30 in 2014, down from 42 percent in 2010.

Wages for migrant workers in coastal cities have grown since 2010, rising 9.8 percent from 2013 to 2014 to an average monthly income of $462.

Southeast Asia, in contrast, is increasingly in the spotlight for its younger working population, lower wages and geographic location, according to The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group. Close to half the population of the ASEAN countries are to be under the age of 30 by 2030.

Some manufacturers are also turning to inland regions of China for cheaper labor, as a tight supply of workers is raising labor costs in China's coastal regions.

Last week The Sydney Morning Herald reported China's factory activity contracted at its fastest pace in a year in April, signaling that economic conditions are in a slump despite monetary easing implemented by China's central bank.