Structural problems in labor force needs to be noted
The population in the three provinces in Northeast China has remained stable in recent years, an official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said Tuesday, dismissing recent media reports saying that the region is facing serious problem of population outflow.
Total population in this region has remained at around 100 million in recent years, Zhao Chenxin, a spokesman for the NDRC, the country's top economic planner, told reporters at a press briefing. He said that the population in Liaoning and Jilin has increased moderately and only that in Heilongjiang dropped slightly.
Some recent media reports have said that the region has witnessed a total outflow of 1 million in the past 10 years, given the lackluster economic growth. But Zhao dismissed the reports, saying that net population outflow in the region only amounted to some 240,000 from 2010 to 2015 and there is no sign that the trend is accelerating.
Zhao also said that birth rate in the region is also comparatively low given the higher level of urbanization in the region. And some retirees and seniors have chosen to move to the warmer southern parts of China, which has also contributed to the population outflow, according to Zhao.
The central government has released a set of measures to rejuvenate the industrial base in Northeast China. Measures should be taken to help the region maintain talents, Zhao said, noting that there is some structural problems in the region's labor force as some college graduates and high-end talents now prefer to seek a career outside of the region.
He further noted that there are also trends that people in inland provinces are moving to eastern China, and the phenomenon is not the most notable in Northeast China.
Northeast China used to be a crucial industrial base in China. However, the manufacturing sector in the region, which relies on resources heavily, has lost momentum as the country tries to move up the value chain, experts said.
Overall economic growth has been meager in the region in recent years. The GDP growth in 2015 for Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning was 5.7 percent, 6.5 percent and 3 percent, respectively, according to data released by the provincial governments.
