More productive farmers meant there was a surplus that could feed cities; in turn, that created a pool of labour for factories.

高产农民越多意味着有盈余可以供给城市；反过来，这为工厂创造了大量劳动力。

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But factory bosses have recently complained of Labour shortages and wages have been rising more rapidly, leading some to conclude that China's "surplus" Labour has been used up.

近来，工厂老板总是抱怨劳力短缺和工资飞涨，因而有人断言说：中国曾经“过剩”的劳力资源已濒临枯竭。

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The end of surplus labour is not an event, but a process.

劳动力市场供大于求的终结，并非是一个突发事件，而是一个缓慢的过程。

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However, wages are held back by a large pool of surplus labour, and China's partially convertible currency is pegged to the dollar.

ECONOMIST: Can a cheaper yen rid Japan of deflation?

Huge amounts of surplus labour and spare capacity threaten to entrench deflation.

ECONOMIST: The leisurely revolutionary | The

Proceso Social is also trying to teach families skills that might give them a better chance of finding work in an environment where there is a shortage of skilled labour and a surplus of non-skilled workers.

BBC: Peruvian child in slum