The statistic shows the distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, around 22.8 percent of the workforce were employed in the agricultural sector, 29.1 percent in the industrial sector and 48.1 percent in the service sector. This year, the share of agriculture increased for the first time in more than two decades, which highlights the difficult situation of the labor market due to the pandemic and economic downturn at the end of the year.

Distribution of the workforce in China

In 2012, China became the largest exporting country worldwide with an export value of about two trillion U.S. dollars. China’s economic system is largely based on growth and export, with the manufacturing sector being a crucial contributor to the country’s export competitiveness. Economic development was accompanied by a steady rise of labor costs, as well as a significant slowdown in labor force growth. These changes present a serious threat to the era of China as the world’s factory. The share of workforce in agriculture also steadily decreased in China until 2021, while the agricultural gross production value displayed continuous growth, amounting to approximately 7.8 trillion yuan in 2021.

Development of the service sector

Since 2011, the largest share of China’s labor force has been employed in the service sector. However, compared with developed countries, such as Japan or the United States, where 73 and 79 percent of the work force were active in services in 2021 respectively, the proportion of people working in the tertiary sector in China has been relatively low. The Chinese government aims to continue economic reform by moving from an emphasis on investment to consumption, among other measures. This might lead to a stronger service economy. Meanwhile, the size of the urban middle class in China is growing steadily. A growing number of affluent middle class consumers could promote consumption and help China move towards a balanced economy.

By the end of 2020, about 21 percent of the internet users in China were students, whereas migrant workers accounted for 12.7 percent. The authority has not released updates for the figures since its 2021 publication.

Employment: Guizhou data was reported at 18.840 Person mn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 18.780 Person mn for 2022. Employment: Guizhou data is updated yearly, averaging 20.070 Person mn from Dec 1993 (Median) to 2023, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.022 Person mn in 2010 and a record low of 17.700 Person mn in 1993. Employment: Guizhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GB: Employment: Region.

China Metal Structure: Number of Employee: Average data was reported at 759.660 Person th in Dec 2013. This records an increase from the previous number of 673.648 Person th for Dec 2012. China Metal Structure: Number of Employee: Average data is updated monthly, averaging 638.149 Person th from Dec 2003 (Median) to Dec 2013, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 799.700 Person th in Dec 2010 and a record low of 239.083 Person th in Dec 2003. China Metal Structure: Number of Employee: Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Industrial Sector – Table CN.BHV: Structural Metal Product: Metal Structure.

China Metal Structure: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data was reported at 3.744 % in Dec 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.174 % for Nov 2012. China Metal Structure: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data is updated monthly, averaging 10.700 % from Jan 2006 (Median) to Dec 2012, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.490 % in Mar 2011 and a record low of 3.194 % in Oct 2012. China Metal Structure: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Industrial Sector – Table CN.BHV: Structural Metal Product: Metal Structure.

This statistic displays the proportion of CEOs in China who are rethinking HR functions and employment structures of the future as of 2016. According to the interviews' result, 65 percent of the CEOs stated that they had changed their talent strategy to reflect the skills and employment structures they need for the future.

The estimation results of Model 1 estimated by IV-2SLS method.

The main component of China’s income gap is the urban–rural income gap, which is largely affected by urbanization. It is worth studying how new-type urbanization affects the income gap between urban and rural areas. Research mostly focuses on the urbanization rate as the core explanatory variable to explain the impact using one or two factors. This paper analyzes the mechanism of the effect using a comprehensive number of factors, with the quality of new-type urbanization development as the core explanatory variable. In terms of theoretical research, we believe that new-type urbanization affects the urban–rural income gap by promoting the transfer of labor, changing industrial structure, and policy tendency. Using both static and dynamic empirical analyses, we test the impact of new-type urbanization on the urban–rural income gap based on China’s provincial data. We find that new-type urbanization is conducive to narrowing the income gap between urban and rural areas. The transfer of labor significantly reduces the urban–rural income gap. However, the upgrading of industrial structure will enlarge the gap. The impact of China’s policy orientation is negligible. Policy should focus on promoting urbanization and improving the marginal rate of return of agriculture, improve the level of human capital, reverse the mismatch between employment structure and industrial structure, increase support for rural areas, and make substantial progress in promoting common prosperity.

China Internet User Structure: Mobile Phone: Employee of Commercial and Service Industry data was reported at 3.800 % in Jun 2011. China Internet User Structure: Mobile Phone: Employee of Commercial and Service Industry data is updated semiannually, averaging 3.800 % from Jun 2011 (Median) to Jun 2011, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.800 % in Jun 2011 and a record low of 3.800 % in Jun 2011. China Internet User Structure: Mobile Phone: Employee of Commercial and Service Industry data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by China Internet Network Information Center. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Information and Communication Sector – Table CN.ICE: Internet: Internet User Structure: Mobile Phone.

China Metal Window & Door: Number of Employee: Average data was reported at 282.276 Person th in Dec 2013. This records an increase from the previous number of 251.178 Person th for Dec 2012. China Metal Window & Door: Number of Employee: Average data is updated monthly, averaging 179.000 Person th from Dec 1998 (Median) to Dec 2013, with 69 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 282.276 Person th in Dec 2013 and a record low of 86.800 Person th in Dec 2000. China Metal Window & Door: Number of Employee: Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Industrial Sector – Table CN.BHV: Structural Metal Product: Metal Window and Door.

China Concrete Structural Component: Number of Employee: Average data was reported at 92.981 Person th in Dec 2013. This records an increase from the previous number of 80.563 Person th for Dec 2012. China Concrete Structural Component: Number of Employee: Average data is updated monthly, averaging 70.600 Person th from Dec 1998 (Median) to Dec 2013, with 69 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 92.981 Person th in Dec 2013 and a record low of 48.700 Person th in Feb 2006. China Concrete Structural Component: Number of Employee: Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Industrial Sector – Table CN.BHS: Gypsum and Cement Product and Similar Product: Concrete Structural Component.

China Structural Metal Product: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data was reported at 5.948 % in Dec 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.609 % for Nov 2012. China Structural Metal Product: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data is updated monthly, averaging 11.420 % from Jan 2006 (Median) to Dec 2012, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.410 % in Mar 2011 and a record low of 4.240 % in Aug 2009. China Structural Metal Product: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Industrial Sector – Table CN.BHV: Fabricated Metal Product: Structural Metal Product.

China Total Researchers: Per Thousand Labour Force data was reported at 3.083 Per 1000 in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.910 Per 1000 for 2020. China Total Researchers: Per Thousand Labour Force data is updated yearly, averaging 1.487 Per 1000 from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2021, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.083 Per 1000 in 2021 and a record low of 0.673 Per 1000 in 1998. China Total Researchers: Per Thousand Labour Force data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.OECD.MSTI: Number of Researchers and Personnel on Research and Development: Non OECD Member: Annual.

The regression and bootstrap test results of the mediating effects in eastern and midwestern regionsa.

China Concrete Structural Component: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data was reported at 3.413 % in Dec 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.398 % for Nov 2012. China Concrete Structural Component: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data is updated monthly, averaging 8.570 % from Jan 2006 (Median) to Dec 2012, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.082 % in Sep 2011 and a record low of 1.163 % in Oct 2012. China Concrete Structural Component: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Industrial Sector – Table CN.BHS: Gypsum and Cement Product and Similar Product: Concrete Structural Component.

In 2022, 42.86 percent of the workforce in India were employed in agriculture, while the other half was almost evenly distributed among the two other sectors, industry and services. While the share of Indians working in agriculture is declining, it is still the main sector of employment. A BRIC powerhouseTogether with Brazil, Russia, and China, India makes up the four so-called BRIC countries. They are the four fastest-growing emerging countries dubbed BRIC, an acronym, by Jim O’Neill at Goldman Sachs. Being major economies themselves already, these four countries are said to be at a similar economic developmental stage -- on the verge of becoming industrialized countries -- and maybe even dominating the global economy. Together, they are already larger than the rest of the world when it comes to GDP and simple population figures. Among these four, India is ranked second across almost all key indicators, right behind China. Services on the riseWhile most of the Indian workforce is still employed in the agricultural sector, it is the services sector that generates most of the country’s GDP. In fact, when looking at GDP distribution across economic sectors, agriculture lags behind with a mere 15 percent contribution. Some of the leading services industries are telecommunications, software, textiles, and chemicals, and production only seems to increase – currently, the GDP in India is growing, as is employment.

China Metal Window & Door: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data was reported at 12.348 % in Dec 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 9.751 % for Nov 2012. China Metal Window & Door: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data is updated monthly, averaging 12.790 % from Jan 2006 (Median) to Dec 2012, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.340 % in Jul 2011 and a record low of 4.680 % in May 2009. China Metal Window & Door: YoY: Number of Employee: Average data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Industrial Sector – Table CN.BHV: Structural Metal Product: Metal Window and Door.

Regression results of Model 2a.

According to the Seventh National Chinese Population Census, the age dependency ratio in China increased to 46.5 percent in 2023. This meant that for every 100 people of working age, more than 46 seniors and children had to be supported. Age dependency ratio The age dependency ratio denotes the relationship between economically dependent age groups (people who are either too old or too young to work) to those of working age. Those who are defined as being able to work, according to the source, are people between the ages of 15 and 64. The dependency ratio indicates how great a burden is placed on those of working age by those of non-working age. In international comparison, China has a relatively low age dependency ratio, when compared to age dependency in G20 countries or other countries in the Asia Pacific region. Development in China In the past two decades, China’s economy has profited from a relatively low dependency ratio. In combination with a growing working age population, these were the two main demographic causes for China’s large and cheap labor force. However, the dependency ratio has been falling since the 1970s, mainly because of lower birth rates and a resulting decrease of child dependency. This led the age dependency ratio to reach a historic low between 2005 and 2017, when it fell to levels below 40 percent. A turning point had been reached around the year 2010, when the effects of declining child dependency were neutralized by growing old-age dependency. This rapid aging of the population is the other side of the coin of decades of low birth rates, which will pose great challenges to Chinese society in the future.

Regression results of Model 1 and Model 3a.