It’s December again, and most people are enjoying a well earned rest at the end of the year. Yet there are three groups of people who are always much busier than usual at this time of year.
Domestic Workers, a Hot Commodity
Weary employers have been rushing to household management companies to be there as their doors open early in the morning. An elderly man said he was there to “book” a housekeeper. Last year he tried for two weeks but still couldn’t find one during the final weeks of the year. A grandmother said that no matter how much money she was willing to pay the household baby sitter, the nanny insisted on going home for the Spring Festival. The grandmother now has to find another baby sitter for the holiday period.
Back at a household management company, dozens of housekeepers have been signing contracts with employers within the first half hour the day. According to a manager at the household management company, more than one hundred customers have been visiting their premises every day, but only a few dozen housekeepers are coming to accept offers. Housekeepers are a hot commodity over the Spring Festival period.
Most emigrant housekeepers will return home for the Spring Festival, making the labor market even more intense, and bring inconvenience to Beijingers.
The shortage of housekeepers may be alleviated with part time domestic workers, said Li Dajing, vice president of the Beijing Household Management Association. During a recent household management job convention, about 660 contracts were signed between part time housekeepers and employers.
More Work for Express Postal Workers
Xiao Li works for the Flying Bird Express Delivery Company. Recently his job has been frantic. Usually he makes around ten deliveries a day, but now his workload has doubled, and still more mail is waiting to be sent. According to Xiao Li, most of the express mails he delivers are gifts.
The phones at Flying Bird Express Delivery Company never stop ringing. According to the company’s operator, they are doing 30 percent more work than usual.
The company’s manager said that as the New Year draws near, many companies and individuals will send presents to their partners and friends. The manager’s biggest worry is a shortage of postal workers.
Hairdressers Work till Morning
The boss of a beauty parlor says he increased the number of staff for washing hair from 10 to 20 at the salon, and also hired three more hairdressers. Xiao Zhao, a girl in charge of washing customers’ hair, said the salon began to employ more hairdressers two weeks ago, in preparation for the upcoming Spring Festival.
By eight o’clock at night, there were still many customers at the salon waiting for their turn. One customer said she came to have her hair made up for the coming Spring Festival, and that she wanted to add some color for the occasion. Mr. Guo, a hairdresser at the beauty salon, said they have been so busy recently that they have worked till midnight and sometimes even the whole night through.
(China.org.cn by Wu Nanlan, December 30, 2002)
