Wage gap among China's industries growing

Edited and translated by People's Daily Online

Wage gap among China's industries growing

The wage gap among industries of China has been growing for many years, and society must pay enough attention to this situation, according to a report published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China on Dec. 1.

Gap widening in four areas

Income gaps among industries and enterprises are enlarging. In 2010, the annual per capita wage of China's urban public institutions was 36,539 yuan, while that of urban private enterprises was 20,759 yuan. The financial industry has the highest annual per capita wage of 70,146 yuan, versus agriculture, forestry, stock farming and fishery, which have an annual per capita wage of 16,717 yuan. The ratio of the highest to lowest was roughly 4-to-1.

The income gap between urban and rural areas is also widening. In 2010, the per capita disposable income of urban families was 19,109 yuan, and that of rural families was 5,919 yuan. The ratio was slightly higher than 3-to-1. In most developed countries, the ratio is lower than 2-to-1.