At first, the managers of the factories spread throughout Guangdong province thought the lack of returning workers after the Chinese New Year break in early February was merely because they had been delayed by the huge blizzard that disrupted rail and power lines, and left roads impassable. But now that the mess has now been cleaned up, it is clear that the vast annual migration of around 20m people that has fuelled the manufacturing boom in southern China over the past two decades is beginning to diminish.
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