Coronavirus keeps millions of Chinese off the job in Guangdong

Mobile phone records show province remains idle despite lowered alert level

A man waits for a train in a deserted subway station in Guangdong Province. An estimated 10 million people want to return to the manufacturing hub but face stiff restrictions doing so. © EPA/Jiji

LI LIUXI and YANG GE, Caixin

February 27, 2020 14:46 JST

Millions of workers from the manufacturing hub of Guangdong Province have yet to return to their jobs nearly a month after the Lunar New Year holiday, new data reveals.

The no-shows reflect a local labor crunch caused by virus-related travel restrictions after the extended break.