Job initiatives address labor market imbalances

Emerging industries

Further south in Hubei province, where 306,500 new urban jobs were created in the first quarter of 2026 alone, employment strategies are targeting logistics and cutting-edge industries.

Zhang Qian, a 32-year-old former migrant worker, started as a sorter at Ezhou Huahu International Airport — Asia's first dedicated cargo hub — and within two years became a terminal operations supervisor, earning more than 10,000 yuan a month.

Xu Haiyan, who once worked in aviation logistics in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, returned home to become a human resources supervisor at the same airport. The airport has directly employed nearly 2,000 local residents.

At an artificial intelligence research institute in Ezhou, Wang Shiyun, 25, a master's graduate in computer science, decided to work in the city thanks to the stable accommodation support — a clean, comfortable three-bedroom apartment in a residential complex, shared with just one other person.

She is one of nearly 30 young researchers at the institute, which was established to build a full AI industry chain.

"I don't need to rush to work and can live and work in a calm and easy environment," she said.

Skills training is a key pillar of the strategy. In Hubei's Shiyan, a traditional auto hub, Quan Rongxuan, an uncertified welder, joined a government-funded training program, earned certification, and now earns up to 10,000 yuan a month.

For older workers, caregiver training has opened new paths. Zhu Fengjiao, 56, returned from Guangzhou, Guangdong province, to start a training school in Ezhou. Her "Ezhou caregiver" brand has produced graduates working as far away as Beijing.