Worker Shortage Hampers China's Electric Car Factories
China's booming electric vehicle market is facing a shortage of skilled technicians and engineers as young people in the country shun manufacturing careers. The rapid expansion of electric car factories has outpaced the availability of qualified workers, leading to a shortfall in vocational training. While China has more than twice as many jobs for skilled technicians as qualified workers, many college graduates prefer white-collar jobs in internet companies and the civil service. The labor shortage poses a challenge for the government as it seeks to shift workers to growing sectors like electric vehicle manufacturing. Automation and robotics are being used to address the shortage, but they can only partially meet the demand for factory technicians.