China's export comeback has factories scrambling for workers

Beijing

CHINA'S manufacturing recovery, fuelled in part by demand from Covid-constrained consumers abroad, has soared past expectations this year, so much so that factories are now struggling to fill a shortage of blue-collar workers to clear mounting orders.

The country's output of industrial robots, computer equipment, and integrated circuits has roared back from its coronavirus paralysis - production for the year to November is up 22.2 per cent, 10.1 per cent and 15.9 per cent, respectively.