Shanghai is a very desirable city for foreigners to live and work in. Are you interested in working in the city as one of the numerous international residents? It’s perfect timing, then! Shanghai’s business environment favors expatriates who want to live and work there.
Understanding the Shanghai Job Market
With its previous history as a center of Maoist philosophy, the economic growth of the city seems a little paradoxical. Over the course of the “Cultural Revolution,” a large number of residents were evicted and sent to work in the countryside. As a trade port and financial and commercial center in East Asia, however, the city seems to have reverted to its origins in the recent past.
Growth of the Economy
Thousands of lowài (foreigners) worked in Shanghai’s several concessions, which were extraterritorial regions controlled by colonial powers, in the early twentieth century. Shanghai has emerged as the economic powerhouse of China, and it continues to develop at a fast pace. The “Gateway to the World” is once again enticing a large number of foreigners looking to advance in their careers or learn more about Chinese culture.
Indeed, Shanghai’s reputation as a boomtown has grown to such an extent that Hong Kong, its main competitor, began a rebranding effort in 2010. It was Hong Kong’s goal to market itself as global asset management and offshore trading hub. This example of “location branding” shows that Hong Kong cares enough about Shanghai’s future growth to think it’s worth the money and effort.
China’s GDP, on the other hand, grew by only 7.7 percent in 2012, the slowest pace of growth in 13 years. Shanghai established a free-trade zone in 2013, but the effect on China’s economy is still up for debate.
The Economy of Shanghai
The pharmaceutical, automotive, and petrochemical sectors all saw substantial increases in sales last year. Steel, electronics, and heavy equipment, on the other hand, saw declines. Shanghai attempted to phase out certain labor-intensive sectors, which resulted in lower foreign demand and industrial restructuring. Future development sectors, such as financial services and high technology, are becoming more important to founders, investors, executives, and workers.
Shanghai’s Pudong area, home to many foreign-born residents, was designated as a Special Economic Region in 1993. One of Shanghai’s most popular neighborhoods for expats in Pudong, which is home to the Lùjizu Finance and Trade Zone as well as the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park.
In Shanghai’s economic history, the port has been a consistent factor. During the early Qing Dynasty in the late 1600s, it became one of China’s most significant ports. Shanghai is the world’s largest container port as well as China’s largest comprehensive port. Shanghai is a wonderful place to work because of the quantity of trade and the speed at which products may be moved.
Shanghai Employment: Where to Look
Many Shanghai-based expats are being urged to leave the country by their employers. Finding a job in Shanghai on your own, on the other hand, may be tough. Today, being able to communicate in English isn’t enough; you also need to be fluent in Chinese and familiar with the culture. You’ll almost always have to be an expert in your area as well. In the absence of a personal expat network in China that might assist you with word-of-mouth advertising while looking for employment in Shanghai, there are still viable options for finding work in Shanghai.
Other than commercial online market places like hiredchina.com, Jobsin Shanghai, or JobChinaNet, many Chambers of Industry and Commerce websites in Shanghai have their own classifieds sections offering local employment opportunities. People who want to work in Shanghai need a variety of talents, including commercial experience from their home country, enthusiasm in conducting business in China, and rudimentary Mandarin language.