It’s one reason why people want to live in big city like Shanghai, Beijing… Just as Ben mentioned, there are just more opportunities in the big cities.

The drawback is that living cost in big city is much higher. I came from a small town of North China, my friend in my hometown earns about 1/5 of me, but the house he’s living costed him 100,000 RMB, while I paid more than 10 times of that for my home in Shanghai (on loan of course). It’s really hard to say my living conditions is better than my friend.

But, I still love to live in Shnghai rather than the samller cities, just as most Chinese do. Since it gives me the opputunity to expand my life, I think.

You’re welcome. That monthly salary is in RMB, after tax.

I think a service job at a Western brand operation – Starbucks, Pizza Hut, etc. – is held in relatively higher regard in China than in the US. The Starbucks I go to is wholly owned – meaning it’s is directly owned by the Starbucks company. Other branches are owned by local partner companies. I am not sure how the salary/benefits differ between the two ownership arrangements.

@chriswaugh_bj
It is both. Living in Fuzhou presents considerably more opportunities than living in the countryside…from entertainment, to jobs, to finding friends or possibly a wife or husband, there are just more opportunities in the big cities (I’m taking these words directly from a multitude of Chinese people). It is also a face issue. For example, nobody in my barbershop is actually from Fuzhou. Fuzhou people simply don’t do that kind of work….in Fuzhou. Now if you go to to Chinatown in New York City, you will find large amounts of Fuzhou people working in barbershops, washing dishes, doing construction, or any other of a number of jobs which they would not do in Fuzhou.

Other than the standard vacation days, we get 10 paid days off per year (will go up if you work longer).

On the subject of taxes, this company actually deducts the full amount of taxes from employees’ paychecks, unlike the last company I worked for. Perhaps because it’s too big of a target. Taxes in China is pretty low by American standards though. I get taxed at about 10-15%, even though my income level is usually shown as the highest strata on surveys (probably equivalent to making 200-400k / year in the US).

Generally, the company’s trying to “internationalize” on the HR front, so it’s learning from companies in the West.

The benefits for blue collar workers seemed pretty standard. No health insurance, paid once (at most twice) per month and extremely cramped housing. Always less than 1000 yuan per month.

The benefits for white collar workers really seem to vary on industry, experience, private or state, etc. For instance, some companies give women employees a bonus on International Women’s Day. The govt/media make a big deal out of it, as if all women do, but I have yet to interview or meet one that actually did receive one this year. Some white collars also get huge bonuses around Spring Festival, have personal driver’s, unemployment benefits, health care, etc.

Many of them do not have health insurance either, but for people who make even four times more than the average worker the cost of a prescription isn’t an issue to most of these people.

As for benefits, Xiao Wang (another coworker) had this to say to me. “You live in America which is a country with good benefits. China is different. In our country, there are too many people for the government to give us benefits, and in our industry (hairstyling) we do not get benefits either. Therefore, Chinese people need to save up a lot of money in they lose their job or something else bad happens.”

This sums up things pretty well. The only benefit you get is your paycheck on the 15th of every month. The shop does provide housing (a 3 bedroom apartment shared by 10 people), but that’s it. I’m not sure how this compares to a white collar Chinese job. Anybody out there know?