China’s army of the rural unemployed has begun its long march back to coastal manufacturing centres. A year ago many of the annual migrants rapidly found work. But this year, in a sign of the impact of the global economic downturn, they are facing a bleaker scenario.

Employers in Shigu, an industrial area in the southern city of Dongguan, had to work hard this time last year to attract workers. Factories set up recruiting stations advertising the cleanliness of their dormitories and quality of their canteens. Milling workers, many of whom had jobs elsewhere but were on the lookout for an upgrade, queued up for tours of each factory’s facilities.