Don’t take “high wages advertised online” as proof of labor shortages — check local lists of in‑demand occupations and subsidy programs instead.

12. Don’t take “high wages advertised online” as proof of labor shortages — check local lists of in‑demand occupations and subsidy programs instead.

Cost: No expense at all. You just need to look up two local documents.

In plain terms: The amount of training subsidies each region offers for a given occupation is set based on how urgently that occupation is needed and on the cost of training. Thus, the subsidy level itself shows whether workers are in short supply locally. Claims online about “monthly earnings for a certain job” are usually just posted rates on hiring platforms or self‑reported figures. Those figures come mainly from people who are already earning money, and they ignore working hours, commuting time, occupational illnesses, and seasonal fluctuations.

Benefit: The subsidy amounts serve as an official measure of which occupations are in short supply. Policies require “a differentiated subsidy system based on how urgently an occupation is needed, its training costs, and other factors,” so each area defines its own list of subsidized vocational training programs accordingly. Consequently, the difference in subsidy levels for the same occupation across cities directly reflects how much that occupation is in demand locally.

Evidence grade: C

Sources: State Council of China Leading Group for Employment Promotion and Labor Protection (2025). Guidance on carrying out large-scale vocational skills improvement training actions. <https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202507/content_7032222.htm>; National Bureau of Statistics of China (2026). Average annual salary of employees in urban units in 2025: "The average annual salary of employees in enterprises above designated size is 106,080 yuan, including 210,016 yuan for middle-level managers and above, 155,491 yuan for professional and technical personnel, 94,936 yuan for office staff and related personnel, 79,857 yuan for social production service and life service personnel, and 80,739 yuan for production, manufacturing and related personnel." <https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202605/t20260515_1963707.html>; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China Employment Training Technical Guidance Center (2023). Ranking of the 100 "most lacking jobs" in which national recruitment is greater than job hunting in the fourth quarter of 2022 (China Employment Network). <https://chinajob.mohrss.gov.cn/c/2023-01-30/367442.shtml>

Notes: Official wage statistics are broken down only into five broad occupational categories; no figures exist for individual jobs. According to 2025 data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the average annual wage at large‑scale enterprises is roughly 106,080 yuan. Managers at mid‑level and above earn about 210,016 yuan per year, while professional and technical staff earn around 155,491 yuan. Clerical workers earn 94,936 yuan, production workers 80,739 yuan, and workers in social services and daily life sectors earn 79,857 yuan. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security publishes a “Top 100 Occupations in Short Supply” list on the China Employment Network; the latest edition covers the fourth quarter of 2022 and is compiled from recruitment and job‑seeker data collected by public employment services in 102 cities nationwide. Most online claims about monthly earnings for specific jobs are based on posted rates or personal reports — figures that come largely from those already earning money and that do not account for working hours, commuting, occupational hazards, or seasonal variations. To gauge true labor demand, consult the subsidy lists on your local Human Resources and Social Security Bureau website and check the rankings of job openings compiled by public employment services. Finally, talk to current workers on construction sites, in factories, and at retail outlets. 〔106000〕 〔210000〕 〔155000〕