The country's financial center is facing a shortage of domestic workers months ahead of the usual crunch when migrant workers supplying the demand return to their hometowns during the Chinese New Year festivities.

Many savvy families booking the help way ahead of the Spring Festival caused the early shortage this time, said Laibang Housekeeping Service Company manager Li Rong.

A man surnamed Wan told the Shanghai Morning Post:"You may end up with nobody if you don't book the services way ahead".

A woman surnamed Luo also wanted to hire a caregiver for her grandfather during the lunar new year, so that her family could go on vacation.

But housekeeping agencies have been turning down customers such as Wan and Luo because domestic workers are simply not available.

Some agencies are going all out to plug the gap, heading to provinces such as Hebei and Anhui for the required help.

Li added that domestic helpers and nannies usually enjoy a 20 percent salary hike for working during the "crisis period".

Nannies' salaries have, on the whole, even undergone a 20 percent increase this year.

"It's an interactive, ever-changing market," Li told China Daily.

"Sometimes the employer fires a maid for her bad temper and sometimes the maid leaves because of low wages."

Nannies with a high school education and aged between 30 and 40 are the most popular, Li said.

To live with the family and take care of a child, a nanny makes about 1,500 yuan ($203) to 2,500 yuan a month.

Taking care of a newborn and the new mother as a wet nurse brings in about 2,400 yuan to 3,500 yuan - making some pick this role over less profitable ones.

There has been in recent years a babyboom in urban areas, adding to the demand for nannies, while migrant women are finding more attractive job opportunities such as factory work instead of working as domestic help, said Li.

(China Daily, December 5, 2007)