Distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China 2018
Distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China from 2008 to 2018

Distribution of workforce in China – additional information
In 2012, China was the largest exporting country worldwide with an export value of about two trillion U.S. dollars. China’s economic system is largely based on growth and export with the manufacturing sector being a crucial contributor to the country’s export competitiveness. Economic development was accompanied by a steady rise of labor costs, as well as a significant slowdown in labor force growth. These changes present a serious threat to the era of China as the world’s factory. The share of workforce in agriculture also steadily decreased in China, while the agricultural gross production value displayed continuous growth, amounting to approximately 4.7 trillion yuan in 2012. Since 2011, the majority of China’s labor force has been employed in the service sector. However, compared with developed countries, such as Japan or the United States where 69.7 and 81.2 percent of the work force were active in services in 2010 respectively, the proportion of people working in the tertiary industry in China has been relatively low. The new leadership elected by the National People’s Congress in March 2013 aims to continue economic reform by moving from an emphasis on investment to consumption, among other measures. This might lead to a stronger service economy. Meanwhile, the share of urban middle class in the total population in China skyrocketed from 3.6 percent in 2005 to 10.8 percent in 2010. A growing number of affluent middle class consumers could promote consumption and help China move towards a balanced economy.
Distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China from 2008 to 2018
Agriculture | Industry | Services | |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | 26.1% | 27.6% | 46.3% |
2017 | 27% | 28.1% | 44.9% |
2016 | 27.7% | 28.8% | 43.5% |
2015 | 28.3% | 29.3% | 42.4% |
2014 | 29.5% | 29.9% | 40.6% |
2013 | 31.4% | 30.1% | 38.5% |
2012 | 33.6% | 30.3% | 36.1% |
2011 | 34.8% | 29.5% | 35.7% |
2010 | 36.7% | 28.7% | 34.6% |
2009 | 38.1% | 27.8% | 34.1% |
2008 | 39.6% | 27.2% | 33.2% |
Agriculture | Industry | Services | |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | 26.1% | 27.6% | 46.3% |
2017 | 27% | 28.1% | 44.9% |
2016 | 27.7% | 28.8% | 43.5% |
2015 | 28.3% | 29.3% | 42.4% |
2014 | 29.5% | 29.9% | 40.6% |
2013 | 31.4% | 30.1% | 38.5% |
2012 | 33.6% | 30.3% | 36.1% |
2011 | 34.8% | 29.5% | 35.7% |
2010 | 36.7% | 28.7% | 34.6% |
2009 | 38.1% | 27.8% | 34.1% |
2008 | 39.6% | 27.2% | 33.2% |
© Statista 2019
About this statistic
Show source
Please be patient - this may take a moment
Description
Source
More information
Distribution of workforce in China – additional information
In 2012, China was the largest exporting country worldwide with an export value of about two trillion U.S. dollars. China’s economic system is largely based on growth and export with the manufacturing sector being a crucial contributor to the country’s export competitiveness. Economic development was accompanied by a steady rise of labor costs, as well as a significant slowdown in labor force growth. These changes present a serious threat to the era of China as the world’s factory. The share of workforce in agriculture also steadily decreased in China, while the agricultural gross production value displayed continuous growth, amounting to approximately 4.7 trillion yuan in 2012. Since 2011, the majority of China’s labor force has been employed in the service sector. However, compared with developed countries, such as Japan or the United States where 69.7 and 81.2 percent of the work force were active in services in 2010 respectively, the proportion of people working in the tertiary industry in China has been relatively low. The new leadership elected by the National People’s Congress in March 2013 aims to continue economic reform by moving from an emphasis on investment to consumption, among other measures. This might lead to a stronger service economy. Meanwhile, the share of urban middle class in the total population in China skyrocketed from 3.6 percent in 2005 to 10.8 percent in 2010. A growing number of affluent middle class consumers could promote consumption and help China move towards a balanced economy.
- Show sources information
- Show publisher information
- Release date
- June 2019
- Region
- China
- Survey time period
- 2008 to 2018
Source
- Show sources information
- Show publisher information
- Release date
- June 2019
More information
- Region
- China
- Survey time period
- 2008 to 2018
You only have access to basic statistics.
- Instant access to 1m statistics
- Download in XLS, PDF & PNG format
- Detailed references
$59 / Month *
Corporate solution including all features.
Prices do not include sales tax.






All Information
in one Presentation
- 64 page/s
- English
- pptx
- Detailed references
Everything On "Employment in China" in One Document: Edited and Divided into Handy Chapters. Including Detailed References.
Statista is a great source of knowledge, and pretty helpful to manage the daily work.Christof Baron
CEO, MindShare Germany
- Population and workforce
- Total population of China from 2001 to 2024 (in millions)Total population of China 2001-2024
- Economically active population vs number of employed persons in China from 2008 to 2018 (in millions)Economically active population vs number of employed persons in China 2008-2018
- Female labor participation rate in China from 2008 to 2018Female labor participation rate in China 2008-2018
- Male labor participation rate in China from 2008 to 2018Male labor participation rate in China 2008-2018
- Share of employed people in the Chinese population from 2007 to 2019Employment rate in China 2007-2019
- Employment
- Number of employed people in China from 2008 to 2018 (in millions)Number of employed people in China 2008-2018
- Distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China from 2008 to 2018Distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China 2018
- Number of employed persons in rural and urban China in 2018, by work unit (in millions)Number of employed persons in China 2018, by work unit
- Number of self-employed people in China in 2018, by region (in millions)Self-employment in China 2018, by region
- Number of newly employed people in urban China from 2008 to 2018 (in millions)*Number of newly employed in urban China 2008-2018
- Unemployment
- China: unemployment rate from 2012 to 2024Unemployment rate in China 2012-2024
- China: unemployment rate from 3rd quarter 2014 to 3rd quarter 2019Quarterly unemployment rate in China Q3 2014-Q3 2019
- Number of unemployed people in urban China from 2007 to 2018 (in millions)Number of unemployed people in urban China 2018
- Number of unemployed people in urban China in 2018, by regionUnemployed people in urban China 2018, by region
- Revenue and expenditure in the unemployment insurance sector in China between 2010 and 2018 (in billion yuan)Revenue and expenditure in the unemployment insurance sector in China 2018
- Number of contributors and beneficiaries of unemployment insurance in China from 2008 to 2018(in millions)Contributors and beneficiaries of unemployment insurance in China 2008-2018
- Wages
- Average annual salary of an employee in non-private organizations urban China from 2008 to 2018 (in yuan)Average annual salary of an employee in China 2018
- Average annual salary of an employee working by non-private organizations in urban China in 2018, by region (in yuan)Average annual salary of an employee in China in 2018, by region
- Average income of employees in urban China in 2018, by sector (in yuan)Average wage of employees in urban China in 2018, by sector
- Monthly minimum wage in China as of 2018, by region (in yuan)Monthly minimum wage in China 2018, by region
- Minimum wage per hour in China as of 2018, by region (in yuan per hour)Minimum wage per hour in China 2018, by region
- Migrant workers
- Number of migrant workers in China from 2008 to 2018 (in millions)Number of migrant workers in China 2018
- Distribution of migrant workers in China in 2018, by ageDistribution of migrant workers in China 2018, by age
- Distribution of migrant workers in China from 2011 to 2018, by genderDistribution of migrant workers China 2011-2018, by gender
- Distribution of migrant workers in China from 2015 to 2018, by level of educationDistribution of migrant laborers China 2015-2018, by education
- Regional distribution of migrant workers in China in 2018, by place of originRegional distribution of migrant laborers in China by place of origin 2018
- Average monthly income of migrant workers in China from 2016 to 2018, by industry (in yuan)Monthly income of migrant workers in China 2016-2018, by industry
- Employment by economic sector in Syria 2018
- Distribution of the workforce across economic sectors UAE 2016
- Pennsylvania's clean energy jobs 2013-2015
- Great Boston Area life sciences employment by segment 2016
- Breakdown of FM workforce in Malaysia 2017, by employment type
- Projected employment figures in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2020
- Total workforce in Hong Kong's retail industry 2008-2017
- Hospitality & tourism: number of leisure & theme park attendants in the UK 2007-2011
- Breakdown of FM workforce in Singapore 2017, by employment type
- Employment in electricity industry in Australia 2016 by occupation
- Number of housekeepers and related occupations employees in the UK 2007-2011
- Hospitality and tourism industry: workforce numbers in the United Kingdom (UK) 2014
- Monthly number of jobs in wholesale and retail trade in London UK 2008-2019
- Coccinelle: employees in 2011-2015
- Canadian food and beverage processing employment by industry 2016
- Workforce of Bouygues Construction worldwide 2013-2016
- Software and IT services: breakdown of companies by size in France 2015
- Unemployment rate in China 2012-2024
- Quarterly unemployment rate in China Q3 2014-Q3 2019
- Number of unemployed people in urban China 2018
- Unemployed people in urban China 2018, by region
- Revenue and expenditure in the unemployment insurance sector in China 2018
- Contributors and beneficiaries of unemployment insurance in China 2008-2018
- Number of migrant workers in China 2018
- Distribution of migrant workers in China 2018, by age
- Distribution of migrant workers China 2011-2018, by gender
- Distribution of migrant laborers China 2015-2018, by education
- Regional distribution of migrant laborers in China by place of origin 2018
- Monthly income of migrant workers in China 2016-2018, by industry
- Employment by economic sector in Syria 2018
- Distribution of the workforce across economic sectors UAE 2016
- Pennsylvania's clean energy jobs 2013-2015
- Great Boston Area life sciences employment by segment 2016
- Breakdown of FM workforce in Malaysia 2017, by employment type
- Projected employment figures in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2020
- Total workforce in Hong Kong's retail industry 2008-2017
- Hospitality & tourism: number of leisure & theme park attendants in the UK 2007-2011
- Breakdown of FM workforce in Singapore 2017, by employment type
- Employment in electricity industry in Australia 2016 by occupation
- Number of housekeepers and related occupations employees in the UK 2007-2011
- Hospitality and tourism industry: workforce numbers in the United Kingdom (UK) 2014
- Monthly number of jobs in wholesale and retail trade in London UK 2008-2019
- Coccinelle: employees in 2011-2015
- Canadian food and beverage processing employment by industry 2016
- Workforce of Bouygues Construction worldwide 2013-2016
- Software and IT services: breakdown of companies by size in France 2015
Statista offers dossiers and reports on over 170 industries. With Statista you are always able to make informed decisions and boost your work efficiency.
- Social Media
- E-Commerce
- Online Video & Entertainment
- Advertising & Marketing
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Cleaning Products
- Cosmetics & Personal Care
- Food & Nutrition
- Health & Hygiene
- International Trade
- Shopping Behavior
- Sports & Leisure
- Business Travel
- Leisure Travel
- Accomodation
- Restaurants
- Demographics
- Economy
- Education & Science
- Politics & Government
- Aviation
- Rail Transport
- Vehicles & Road Traffic
- Water Transport
Register in seconds and access exclusive features.
Basic Account
|
Instant Access
Premium Account
| ||
---|---|---|---|
Our services
Click the question mark for further information | Free |
$59 per month*
| |
Basic statistics | |||
Premium statistics | |||
Graph download
| |||
Download PDF | |||
Excel download
| |||
Register | Purchase now |
This feature is limited to our corporate solutions.
Please contact us to get started with full access to dossiers, forecasts, studies and international data.
We use cookies to personalize contents and ads, offer social media features, and analyze access to our website. In your browser settings you can configure or disable this, respectively, and can delete any already placed cookies. For details, please see your browser’s Help section (by pressing F1). Please see our privacy statement for details about how we use data.