Search for skilled workers moves inland (2)

Experienced managers are the most sought after group of potential hires in inland areas, which only developed a few years ago and have a small human resource pool, Zhang said.

Demand for human resources increased 11.3 percent in central regions and 8.6 percent in western regions in the third quarter of 2012, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Demand declined in eastern parts of the country.

Zhang said that, due to the short supply and huge demand for human resources, wages will continue to rise in inland regions and may even exceed salaries in eastern regions.

According to the ministry, more than 80 percent of China's human resource demand was concentrated in the manufacturing, service, retail, catering and construction industries in the first three quarters of 2012.

Among the main industries, manufacturing had the greatest demand, said the ministry.

The manufacturing industry usually needs a huge number of workers, said Gong Hao, director of Aon Hewitt's payment management division in North China.

But since China's role in the global economy is changing from being the "world's factory" and its market is so important, some foreign companies have also set up research and development centers in China, and engineers are also in need.