The migrant worker class is among those hardest hit by the global financial crisis in China. Carol Huang from The Christian Science Monitor writes on their plight, as well as the government’s new infrastructure plans that may possibly help their situation.
The central government would like to launch green projects that move China toward a more energy-efficient economy, such as improving the electrical grid and investing in mass-transit systems, Lieberthal says.
But with local governments pressed to create jobs fast, they may resort to quick projects that may be ill-conceived.
Meanwhile, migrants are looking for jobs available now, even ones paying half their previous salaries.
Ms. Ma, who just lost her job as a cashier, says she’s going back to Henan Province indefinitely. “I will ask my friends there about work,” says the young woman, who left home just a year ago.
