The Chinese fisheries sector is struggling to find laborers, and low wages may be to blame.
Government data shows the average annual income in the “agriculture, fisheries, and forestry” sector earn less and enjoy slower income growth workers in every other sector in China.
Fishery workers average income totaled CNY 36,504 (USD 5,725, EUR 4,862) in 2017, up from CNY 33,612 (USD 5,271, EUR 4,477) in 2016. But that’s the lowest of any industry monitored by government statisticians.
Workers in the transport industry took home an average CNY 80,225 (USD 12,582, EUR 10,686), up from CNY 73,650 (USD 11,551, EUR 9,811) in 2016. Workers in the construction and industrial maintenance (electricians, fitters, etc.) earned an average CNY 90,348 (USD 14,170, EUR 12,035) in 2017, up from CNY 83,868 (USD 13,153, EUR 11,172) the previous year.
Meanwhile, the data, compiled by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, shows the extent of white-collar income growth, a driver of seafood consumption and demand in China. Workers in finance earned on average CNY 122,851 (USD 19,267, EUR 16,365) last year, up from CNY 117,418 (USD 18,415, EUR 16,365) in 2016.
Official data has consistently shown an exodus of rural-based workers for better-paying jobs in urban areas.
Photo courtesy of Zhang Sizhong
