Shenzhen will organize 135 job fairs to help migrant workers land a job starting Friday until March 31.

The move, part of Spring Breeze Action, which was launched to show care for migrant workers, started with a free job fair, which opens at Shenzhen Human Resources Market in Luohu District on Friday.

More than 110 enterprises will offer 3,500 vacancies at the fair, according to labor authorities.

"Most of the vacancies are in catering, property management and manufacturing industries. Skilled workers with at least a two-year work experience will have a better chance," said Wang Li, manager of the marketing department of Shenzhen Human Resources Market.

Most employers were offering salaries 10 percent higher than last year, he said.

"The average monthly salary for domestic helpers and waiters will rise to more than 1,000 yuan (US$137) from last year's 800 yuan," Wang said.

"It is getting harder to find an acceptable waitress," said Wang Chunjun, a manager of Shenzhen Haizhucheng Restaurant in Nanshan District.

He complained that although the restaurant offered 1,500 yuan per month for waitresses, higher than the average, it was still short of 50 waitresses.

Meanwhile, in the week preceding the Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 21, the Shenzhen talent market in Luohu will offer free fairs, offering 10,000 posts, most in telecommunications, computers, logistics and foreign trade.

High-end applicants with professional education and managerial backgrounds, especially returned overseas professionals, were in big demand, market manager Lian said.

"Many employers are offering wages 20-30 percent higher than last year to attract applicants," said Lian.

Fresh college graduates can generally earn around 2,000 to 3,000 yuan while a person with an overseas educational background could earn more than 10,000 yuan.

Lian reminded applicants to go to licensed job markets and be cautious if employers choose places of interview at hotels or restaurants to avoid falling victims to crime. Employers are not allowed to charge jobseekers, such as an application fee.

A report released by the labor authorities show the city was short of 530,000 laborers in the fourth quarter of last year. The high cost of urban life and low salaries were partly blamed for the shortage.

"Although the average salary in Shenzhen is comparatively higher than other cities, increasing living costs had offset the earnings," said Yi Songguo, a professor at Shenzhen University.

Editor: Yan