Chinese recruiters wait behind placards for job seekers at a labor market in Guangzhou city, south Chinas Guangdong province, Feb 17, 2014. [Photo/dfic.cn]

Labor-intensive companies in South China's Guangdong province are still finding it difficult to recruit new employees, according to a statement from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Human Resource and Social Security.

The labor shortage gap has narrowed to between 600,000 and 800,000 workers after 9.73 million migrant workers returned to Guangdong by Feb 25, up 380,000 from a year earlier.

Chinese migrant workers' wages up 13.9%

Solutions needed for?urbanization?

The prosperous province that borders the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions lacked between 800,000 and 1 million workers after Lunar New Year, the statement said.

More than 10.29 million migrant workers left the province for their homes for Lunar New Year, which started on Jan 31.

Companies in the garment, textile, toy, shoe, catering and housekeeping industries still find it very difficulty to attract employees, and contribute to more than 70 percent of the province's labor shortage gap, the statement said.

Most of the companies having difficulties employing new staff are mid-sized, small and micro firms that offer monthly salaries from 2,000 to 3,500 yuan ($325-$570), at least 500 yuan lower than many job seekers expect.

To this end, the provincial department of human resource and social security has urged relevant government departments to make efforts to monitor the labor shortage, do what they can to protect the rights of migrant workers and further improve the working and living conditions for the province's many migrant workers.