The only constant is change, especially in China. Just half a year ago, tens of millions of jobless migrant workers from closed export factories flooded job markets and pushed down wage levels, many ending up going back to their farms and villages. But now, manufacturing hub Shenzhen is suffering from a labor shortage again. City authorities said that the market had 60,000 more jobs than available workers in June.

Japanese electronics and automation manufacturer Omron Corp.'s Shenzhen branch said the labor undersupply started in the second quarter, affecting the company's effort to expand production, according to Shenzhen Business Daily.

To some people's surprise, traditional labor-intensive products, such as garments, luggage and cell phones, are leading the recovery of export sales. Chinese researcher Li Youhuan told 21 Century Business Herald that these categories saw a sharp decline in orders since last October. But consumers in export markets are still buying, and the stock inventory has dried up.

Exports of processed plastics products rose 6 percent in the first half of 2009, according to Guangdong Customs.

The current labor shortage is different than the previous ones, as I believe it is more regional, temporary and limited in scale. The gap between jobs and workers will easily be filled, as soon as potential workers hear of the situation and swing back from their hometowns. Before then, wages may climb up a little, but nothing significant enough to drag the recovery.

I know many of our readers are running factories on the ground in China. What's your observation and take?