Lesson of labor crisis

The lack of workers immediately after the Spring Festival in coastal areas is in striking contrast with the redundancy of migrant workers more than a year ago when the areas' processing industry was deeply affected by the economic meltdown.

But is there really a shortage of migrant workers? Where are the workers who were there in prior years? Why are they reluctant to return?

It is impossible for the millions of migrant workers concentrated in coastal areas more than a year ago to have withdrawn from the job market in such a short amount of time. A likely answer is that the areas' processing industry is no longer that attractive. Perhaps the migrant workers can make the same amount of money by finding a job in their hometowns or fashion a better living by farming their fields.