quote:

ORIGINAL: Brain

This surprised me when I first read it. I did expect the Chinese economy to be doing better than the rest of the world because they have been maintaining their currency at a lower value in order to have an export advantage.  That combined with low wages of course keep them competitive. I have to say this is a little tough to swallow and I expect something to be done about it but I won't be holding my breath.
 
 
Defying Global Slump China Has Labor Shortage
 
Just a year after laying off millions of factory workers, China is facing an increasingly acute labor shortage.

As American workers struggle with near double-digit unemployment, unskilled factory workers here in China’s industrial heartland are being offered signing bonuses.

Factory wages have risen as much as 20 percent in recent months.
Telemarketers are turning away potential customers because recruiters have fully booked them to cold-call people and offer them jobs.

Some manufacturers, already weeks behind schedule because they...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/business/global/27yuan.html?hp

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyEllen

The FT this weekend reports steel prices up due to demand from China. Meanwhile the European steel conglomerate Corus mothballs its last site on Teesside (UK). Obviously this makes sense.

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