Labour shortages drive robot uptake in Chinese factories
The rising costs of human labour, and a 26% turnover rate among factory workers, has led 40% of manufacturers in Guangdong and Hubei to use automated machines for production, according to a survey from China's Wuhan University. However, investment in research and development has fallen from 60% in 2014 to 38% in 2015. Chinese factory owners are also seeking subsidies and tax benefits from the state, the survey said. Government support through tax exemptions, refunds and other means, has become critical to many Chinese factories' survival as costs rise and demand slows.
Survey finds one in four workers in the Pearl River Delta changed jobs over two years – and factories have turned to automation to cope