A wave of protests by unpaid Chinese workers is sweeping across China, fueled by factory closures resulting from steep U.S. tariffs and a significant economic slowdown. Disgruntled laborers are taking to the streets in multiple regions, demanding back wages and challenging what they claim are unfair dismissals.
From the central province of Hunan to the southwestern city of Suining in Sichuan, and as far northeast as Tongliao in Inner Mongolia, hundreds of workers are voicing their anger over unpaid earnings and job losses.
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Videos circulating on social media, such as those posted by X user ‘@YesterdayBigcat’ and shared by Radio Free Asia (RFA), have captured the intensity of these protests.
In Suining city, workers at the Shangda Electronics factory were filmed chanting “Strike! Strike!” on Sunday. These workers allege that the flexible circuit board manufacturer has failed to pay their wages since the beginning of the year and has neglected social security contributions for nearly two years, dating back to June 2023.
The impact of U.S. tariffs, particularly the reported 145% tariff on Chinese imports under the Trump administration, is projected to have a severe impact on China’s labor market. Analysts at Goldman Sachs estimate that as many as 16 million jobs across various industries in China are at risk, according to RFA.
They anticipate that these tariffs will significantly hinder China’s economic growth, further straining the labor market, especially in export-oriented sectors like communication equipment, apparel, and chemical products.
The unrest is not limited to factory workers. Earlier this week, in Xi’an city in Shaanxi province, over a dozen migrant workers protested at a local project department, claiming they had not received their wages since February 2025.
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In another instance of desperation, construction workers in Tongliao city, Inner Mongolia, gathered on the rooftops of the Jincan Royal Garden Community on April 25, threatening to jump if their back wages were not paid, as shown in a video shared on X.
Experts believe that the increasing frequency of worker protests highlights both mismanagement within some Chinese companies and the deepening economic challenges facing the nation amid its trade dispute with the United States.
Beijing-based activist Ji Feng, a former student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that many business owners he has recently encountered have expressed significant difficulties due to a lack of business and funds.
He noted that worker protests often compel companies to find ways to pay outstanding wages, even if it requires borrowing money, as authorities may intervene if payments are excessively delayed.
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