More skilled workers are needed in Dongguan, a traditional manufacturing base in Guangdong province, as local companies begin looking for qualified employees after Spring Festival to help transfer their businesses into the high-tech sector.

CKE-Tech, which focuses on production and sales of precision machinery, is looking for about 10 more engineers this year as the company increases its efforts in research and development.

"We are looking for more skilled workers, but it is really difficult to find the right ones," said Chen Guiping, a human resource manager with the company.

The company will provide about 6,000 yuan ($920) per month for a skilled worker, higher than the previous year.

A growing number of manufacturing companies have increased investment in research and development in recent years, resulting in the need for more skilled workers and engineers, according to Chen.

CKE-Tech is one of the hundreds of businesses ranging from furniture, garments, electronics and toys that are transitioning from traditional manufacturing to more service-oriented models.

By Feb 17, more than 77 percent of Dongguan workers had returned to their jobs, according to the local human resource authority.

In the past, some companies could not begin factory operations after Spring Festival due to a lack of workers.

"But now, a growing number of local companies have introduced high-tech processing equipment, including robots," said Li Guochen, a professor at Dongguan Polytechnic.

Some labor-intensive businesses, however, have still found it hard to recruit new workers.

According to the Dongguan human resources authority, companies involved in shoes, garments and plastics have a relatively larger shortage of labor for their processing lines.