GUANGZHOU: China’s Guangdong province announced to raise 19 percent to 1,895 yuan ($320) wages from May 2015.
The pay raises will go into effect in all parts of Guangdong except Shenzhen on May 1, the provincial department of human resources and social security said in a press release. Guangdong last raised the minimum salary in May 2013.
Authorities in Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, separately announced a raise in the minimum monthly salary for full-time workers of 12.3 percent to 2,030 yuan ($320), the highest nationwide, from next month.
China is facing severe labor shortage due to tough birth control policies over the past three decades. Rising labor costs, coupled with falling orders, have left many manufacturers struggling and driven some to relocate to Southeast Asian countries.
Young Chinese are earning on average 8,482 yuan ($1,358) per month, placing them fourth on the salary chart in Asia.
Young professionals from Singapore, South Korea and Japan on average get the top three highest wages in Asia, said the study conducted for the first time.
The survey covered 2,000 interviewees from 10 Asian countries between the age of 20 and30.
