Becoming a white-collar worker is the top job choice for the young generation of migrant workers, in sharp contrast to their parents, who are mostly manual laborers making money by working overtime and living a frugal life.

Jobs in the manufacturing, service and building sectors failed to attract migrant workers at several job fairs last week, experts said, though the first few weeks after Spring Festival are usually the peak time of year for people from rural regions to flock to big cities for job opportunities.

Such ambitions among migrant workers under age 30, who make up nearly two-thirds of the 6.6 million migrant workers in Shanghai, have made jobs with more friendly working environments, like real estate agent and hair dresser, more popular, experts said.