During China's 30 years of economic growth, hundreds of millions of factory and urban jobs soaked up surplus rural farm labor.

WSJ: China's Rising Wages Propel Prices

Over the past several years economists have warned that China may be reaching the so-called Lewis Turning Point the stage at which the rural surplus labor pool effectively runs dry and wages begin to rapidly increase.

FORBES: Putting Foxconn's Wage Rises in Context

Unlike the manufacturing industry in the West that gave birth to a middle class of both white-collar and blue-collar workers, manufacturers in China mostly absorb surplus labor from rural areas with few skills.

FORBES: The Myth Of China's Manufacturing Power