Biggest Industries by Employment in China in 2020

1. Cotton Growing in China

Employment number for 2020: 98,900,000

Revenue from the Cotton Growing industry in China is estimated to reach $14.3 billion in 2018, up 1.1% from 2017. Industry revenue has been falling at annualized 0.8% over the five years through 2018. These declines have largely been the result of competition from synthetic fiber manufacturers and imported cotton, and lower pricing levels.

China is the largest producer of cotton in the world, with a plant area of 3.4 million hectares as at 2016. China is also the largest global consumer market for cotton, as cotton is one of the main raw materials for many Chinese industries. China has about... Learn More

2. In-Home Care & Other Household Services in China

Employment number for 2020: 30,100,000

The In-home Care & Other Household Services industry in China has developed strongly in recent years due to the improving income levels of Chinese residents, increasing number of new births and elders, accelerating pace of life, high labor force participation rate, etc. Industry revenue is expected to total $74.63 billion in 2018, up 16.5% from 2017, with an annualized growth rate of 17.2% during the past five years. Industry profit is not high, average 7.1% of industry revenue in 2018, mainly squeezed by the rising labor costs in China.

There are large number of small-size companies and self-employed practitioners in the... Learn More

3. Building Construction in China

Employment number for 2020: 30,000,000

Over the five years through 2018, revenue for the Building Construction industry has been growing at an average annualized rate of 6.1% to $2.11 trillion. There are about 27,000 construction firms in this industry, remaining the same level with that in 2013. Most of the building construction major players also have operations in civil engineering, real estate development (IBISWorld report 7210), professional engineering services (7671), plan designing, building materials manufacturing, and construction equipment manufacturing (3613). By operating across different sectors, they are able to decrease costs and maintain stable supply sources.

Large general contractors are relatively stable and less vulnerable to... Learn More

4. Full-Service Restaurants in China

Employment number for 2020: 26,327,000

Full-service restaurants in China account for the largest share of revenue of all the industries in China's catering subsector. Revenue for China's catering subsector totaled $545.0 billion in 2018, of which $495.4 billion was generated by the Full-Service Restaurants industry.

The Full-Service Restaurants industry's proportion of the total catering subsector has slightly decreased in recent years, due to the rapid growth of its main external competitor, the Fast-Food Restaurant industry in China (IBISWorld report 6720). Nevertheless, the Full-Service Restaurants industry has steadily grown over the past five years. Industry revenue is expected to increase at an annualized rate of 7.9% over... Learn More

5. Chinese Medicinal Herb Growing in China

Employment number for 2020: 16,572,686

China is one of the largest growing and consuming countries of ginseng and pseudo-ginseng in the world. Rising prices and the growing popularity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have driven increased supply and demand for industry products in recent years.

The Chinese Medicinal Herb Growing industry is expected to grow at an annualized 13.8% over the five years through 2018, to reach $28.64 billion. Over the period, the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China was established to assist the industry by developing industry standards and optimizing the allocation of resources.

Traditional Chinese medicine, which uses Chinese... Learn More

6. Building Completion & Interior Design in China

Employment number for 2020: 14,694,000

Revenue for the Building Completion and Interior Design industry is expected to increase at an annualized rate of 3.0% over the five years through 2019, to $660.8 billion. This high growth rate is largely due to upstream building construction growth, the wide expansion of interior design enterprises through the combination of online and offline promotion, and consideration of customers' experience.

Household and public building completion and decoration services are the industry's major service segments, with curtain wall decoration accounting for only a small proportion of industry revenue. Design services are a relatively new revenue source for the industry.

The industry is projected... Learn More

7. Tobacco Growing in China

Employment number for 2020: 14,528,176

Tobacco is grown in over 125 countries on over 4.0 million hectares of land, a quarter of which is in China. The global tobacco crop is worth approximately $20 billion, a small fraction of the total amount generated from the sale of manufactured tobacco products around the world.

Tobacco is grown on less than 1% of the world's agricultural land and in a wide variety of soils and climates. Since the 1960s, the bulk of production has moved from the Americas to Africa and Asia. Land devoted to tobacco growing has been halved in the United States, Canada and Mexico, but... Learn More

8. Fruit and Nut Growing in China

Employment number for 2020: 13,797,244

Revenue for the Fruit and Nut Growing industry in China is expected to rise at an annualized 8.9% over the five years through 2019, to an estimated $25.9 billion. Rising domestic demand, and an increase in the number of fruit and varieties have benefited the industry's development. China is the world's largest producer of fruits, with an estimated 125.2 billion square meters of planting area in 2019.

The industry has been consolidating, with the number of farming enterprises expected to decline at an annualized 1.2% over the five years through 2019, to 250,940. It is difficult to enter and exit the... Learn More

9. Bridge, Tunnel and Subway Construction in China

Employment number for 2020: 10,376,669

The Bridge, Tunnel and Subway Construction industry in China has been growing rapidly, driven by China's urbanization, increasing population flow, increasing traffic and demand for infrastructure, and increasing government investment. Over the five years through 2018, revenue for the Bridge, Tunnel and Subway Construction industry grew at an annualized 14.8%, to total $1013.6 billion.

There are 2,209 enterprises operating in the industry, up from 1,695 in 2013, reflecting annualized growth of 5.4% over the past five years. In 2018, there are 21,233 industry establishments, which employ 10.4 million workers, with a payroll of $59.8 billion. Employment numbers have been growing at... Learn More

10. Fast-Food Restaurants in China

Employment number for 2020: 9,961,578

In recent years, lifestyle changes and reduced leisure time have contributed to a consumer shift from traditional full-service restaurants toward fast-food establishments. In addition, increased Western influences in China have boosted demand for fast food. Due to the rapid development of fast-food service providers, improvements in chain store and franchising management, and new brands and food styles, industry growth has been strong over the past decade.

ACMR-IBISWorld estimates that the Fast-Food Restaurants industry in China will generate $177.6 billion in 2019, up 7.9% from 2018. Over the five years through 2019, industry revenue is expected to grow at an annualized rate... Learn More