China, the new manufacturing powerhouse of the world, is becoming home to a growing number of international procurement offices, as importers beat a path to the doors of low-cost merchandise.
But many global companies prefer to put middle to senior management in the procurement and supply chain in Hong Kong with satellite offices in China, recruiters say.
Ekta Madan, a Hong Kong-based consultant with global executive search firm Manpower Profession, said the outlook was 'healthy and optimistic' for mainland-based manufacturing posts.
'We conducted a survey of Chinese employers and found they have trouble filling manufacturing procurement supply chain posts in China because there is a dearth of qualified professionals. People from Hong Kong or even Taiwan or Malaysia are keen to move to China because of the opportunities,' she said.
The Manpower survey to gauge the hiring trends for the final quarter of this year showed that Chinese employers across all industry sectors anticipated positive hiring activity throughout the quarter, said Ms Madan. However, responses indicated that while still positive, employer hiring intentions had cooled compared with the third and fourth quarters of last year.
'The strongest hiring plans are reported in the service industry sector. However, Guangzhou employers - mostly manufacturers - are reporting the most optimistic hiring plans for the forthcoming quarter, with a respectable net employment outlook of 15 per cent; and they keep recruiting a steady number of increasingly skilled people.'