Chinese Workers Want More Dough

Chintzy in China: Aside from rising imports, there is another kind of imbalance between China and the United States. Chinese workers are highly displeased about their pay and benefits packages, according to a survey by global management consultant Watson Wyatt Worldwide. The study of 60,000 Chinese employees reveals that nearly three-quarters of workers in mainland China are unhappy, mostly because they aren’t sure how their performance is linked with compensation. The news is a bit better for American companies: 47 percent of U.S. workers surveyed have a favorable view of their pay and benefits. However, that means more than half are discontented. Another survey may explain their disenchantment. CareerBuilder.com, which has become a survey factory, reports that 41 percent of employees "live paycheck to paycheck." For a firsthand view inside China’s labor market, please read Workforce Management’s China Matters series.

—Garry Kranz