2. Case Study Analysis of Population and
Labor Resources in China
1. Population Expansion
The population problem is the long-term constraining factor on China's development today. An unprecedented phase of the population expansion in this country began along with the onset of industrialization in the 1950s. According to projections, the national population will increase to 1.3 billion in 2000, and reach its peak of 1.62 billion in 2030.
This growth could be on an even longer scale, should the planned childbirth (family planning) policy be relaxed even slightly. Concurrently, the country will be confronted with the peaks of the old population and the labor force population. The old population of 65 and above is expected to increase by 200 million, and exceed 300 million in 2040, which will account for about 20% of the total population of China, requiring unusually great efforts to support it. On the other hand, the labor force population between the ages of 15 and 64 will reach its peak of some 1 billion in 2020. The actual supply of labor force is estimated to be between 800 million - and 850 million - sstrong, which will create employment pressure in the long run. The three northeast provinces see a similar trend.
2. Case Studies on Labor-Force Growth and Working Conditions in the three Northeast Provinces
(1) Current Situation in the three Northeast Provinces
The total increase of the labor force in all over China has been observed as follows. In 1990, the total labor force population was 697.32 million, including 567.40 million social laborers, and the annual rates of increase were 4.2% and 4.6% respectively. According to projections, the rate of annual increase in labor population in China in the 1990s has been about 3%, and additional new employment opportunities have been required by, on average, about 15 million people each year.
