Wages on the rise but don't meet expectations

An income survey report, based on 5,866 enterprises in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, released by Zhaopin.com in July, shows that the average wage rise was 10.1 percent so far this year, 1.9 percentage points higher than 2009.

The statistics from Zhaopin.com show that from 2006 to 2008 wages steadily increased, with the rate peaking at 13.8 percent in 2008. However, because of the financial crisis in 2009 the rate dropped to 8.2 percent, its lowest rate during the last five years.

"Although they are up again in 2010, and higher than 2007, the rate still hasn't reached the peak of 2008," said Zhao Lipeng, senior payment consultant with Zhaopin.com. "However, in Beijing the speed of the rises slowed, but wages still increased in 2009," he added.