China Faces Skilled Labor Shortage with 30 Million Manufacturing Jobs at Risk by 2025

• China facing shortage of skilled workers, only 26% of workforce is highly-skilled currently • Low incomes and benefits for skilled workers hurting appeal of manual labor jobs • 30 million manufacturing jobs expected to go unfilled by 2025, almost half of sector • Proposals to improve social standing of skilled workers, like adding to party committees • Xi Jinping stressed importance of vocational education and treating skilled workers better