China’s Industry-Specific Labor Brands Boost Employment and Industrial Upgrading

Building a modern industrial system is inseparable from a high-quality labor force. Across China, a number of industry-specific labor brands have emerged as important carriers for promoting development and improving people’s livelihoods, with growing capacity to drive employment. From "Bagui Rice Noodle Chefs" in Guangxi to "Pingxiang Stroller Makers" in Hebei and "Guanxian Ganoderma Craftsmen" in Shandong, these brands are bridging the gap between labor supply and industrial demand.

Rooted in characteristic industries, these labor brands effectively drive employment and entrepreneurship. According to China Labor News, Pingxiang County in Hebei, the world’s largest production base for bicycle parts and strollers, boasts over 5,200 related enterprises with an annual revenue exceeding 30 billion yuan. The "Pingxiang Stroller Makers" brand covers over 100 occupations, employing more than 120,000 people, including over 1,000 former poverty-stricken laborers. Huo Hengzhan, a 41-year-old welder at Tianhe Stroller Factory, saw his income triple after training under the brand.

In Shandong’s Guanxian County, a major ganoderma planting and trading base, the "Guanxian Ganoderma Craftsmen" brand has driven over 50,000 villagers to employment in three years, with an average annual income increase of over 50,000 yuan. Wang Bingqin, a ganoderma farmer, returned home from migrant work to build three greenhouses, earning 200,000 yuan annually and becoming a technician after professional training.

In Guangxi, the "Bagui Rice Noodle Chefs" brand has boosted employment and entrepreneurship for more than 300,000 people. Tang Hanpeng, who learned snail rice noodle cooking through public welfare training, now runs a popular restaurant and plans to launch vacuum-packed products to reach more customers.

To meet industrial needs, targeted training ensures talent supply. Li Wensen, a teacher at Liuzhou No.1 Vocational and Technical School and a brand spokesperson, has trained over 9,000 students since 2021. In Pingxiang, Wang Jingquan, principal of a welder training school, said the school trained 2,400 welders in 2025, 600 more than the previous year, matching enterprise demands precisely.

These labor brands also fuel industrial upgrading. In Guanxian, trained craftsmen have increased the income of each ganoderma greenhouse by 5,000 to 6,000 yuan. In Pingxiang, the brand stabilizes an annual output of 155 million strollers and helps the industry move towards high-end manufacturing. A relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security stated that efforts will be made to further polish these "golden signs" to benefit more workers.