Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

It’s a somber scene in the backstreets of one of China’s largest manufacturing hubs, where workers gather under a tree, smoking in front of storefronts advertising temporary factory jobs, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

“No one understands what our life is like,” says one man, who prefers to remain anonymous.

“We work and work and have no life. Please help us,” adds another—a rare and risky plea to a foreign journalist.

These workers seem desperate, struggling to earn enough to send money home, as they face massive shifts in Chinese manufacturing—from cheap, mass-produced goods to increasingly automated, high-tech production.

Their struggles were already severe before the recent US-Israel conflict with Iran sent shockwaves through the global economy. China’s growth had been slowing even prior to this, with unemployment rising and tariffs from the Trump administration hitting exports hard last year. Yet, the country proved surprisingly resilient, maintaining GDP growth of around 5%. Still, dissatisfaction among workers continued to simmer. Now, the Middle East conflict threatens to further strain factory orders, increase costs, and jeopardize jobs.

In Foshan, in the southern industrial province of Guangdong, the best opportunities available are displayed in bright red lettering: a few weeks of molding plastic or assembling mobile phone parts for 18 to 20 yuan an hour—roughly a few dollars or pounds.

“I’m going to try and find work elsewhere,” says another worker from a rural province. Many of these laborers are well over 40 years old, burdened by uncertainty and frustrated at the lack of stable prospects.

Analysts warn that this is part of a broader trend: China’s aging workforce and the shift to automation are leaving many skilled workers behind. Some experts predict that without major reforms or social support, the gap between high-tech urban industries and low-paid factory laborers may widen, fueling unrest and migration pressures.