Companies scramble to hire skilled labor

More skilled workers are needed in Dongguan, a traditional manufacturing base in Guangdong province, as local companies begin looking for qualified employees after Spring Festival to help transfer their businesses into the high-tech sector.

CKE-Tech, which focuses on production and sales of precision machinery, is looking for about 10 more engineers this year as the company increases its efforts in research and development.

"We are looking for more skilled workers, but it is really difficult to find the right ones," said Chen Guiping, a human resource manager with the company.