At dawn in the Baidu Intelligent Cloud Digital Economy Industrial Base in Guangnan County, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, 23-year-old Wei Qinghao rides his electric bike from his residence, just over a kilometer away, to start his day. As a data annotator, his role involves feeding precise data to artificial intelligence systems, making vehicle smart-driving technology more advanced. "When I graduated, there was a computer-related position in my hometown, and the monthly salary of over 3,000 yuan was quite acceptable," says this graduate of West Yunnan University of Applied Sciences, who has validated his choice over the past six months. With his workplace close to home and meals at the downstairs cafeteria costing just 11 yuan each, his daily expenses total around 20 yuan, allowing him to save more than 2,000 yuan monthly. The clear career advancement path offered by his employer adds to his peace of mind. "The climate in other provinces isn't as good as Yunnan's, and living costs are higher," Wei notes. "Working at my doorstep is far better than drifting to distant places."
In Guangnan, returning college graduates like Wei are not uncommon. Chen Hong, a Kunming University of Science and Technology graduate who returned to start a business, leveraged his passion and foresight for e-sports to establish Shuhui Yiyou Network in his hometown, creating local employment for 115 college graduates and young people. Meanwhile, Wang Chi, a Dali University graduate, returned to launch Banye Technology in 2025, employing 102 people with an average monthly wage of approximately 4,100 yuan. A wave of "peacocks that flew away" is quietly making its way back.
Behind this trend lies a profound transformation in Guangnan's employment strategy. As a populous county in Yunnan Province, Guangnan has a registered population of 937,100, with a labor force of 445,300. In recent years, the county has prioritized people-centered new urbanization, using the rural revitalization industrial demonstration park as a foundation to forge an upgrade path from Version 1.0 to Version 2.0 of local and nearby employment—transitioning from "making shoes" to "handling data," and from "simple recruitment" to "comprehensive support." This has built a new employment landscape driven by four key innovations.
Infrastructure Renewal: With a focus on revitalizing idle assets into "smart parks," Guangnan avoided large-scale demolition and construction. Instead, it activated 12,000 square meters of state-owned idle commercial spaces in the southern urban area and 4,300 square meters of old factory buildings in the footwear and apparel district, linking them into industrial clusters. By tying job creation to rent reductions, the county established a "1+N" policy framework, disbursing 16.4554 million yuan in employment and entrepreneurship subsidies and waiving 3.8709 million yuan in site rental fees.
Industry Upgrade: Targeting the digital blue ocean, Guangnan broke free from traditional development paths, focusing on labor-intensive digital sectors like data annotation. The county successfully attracted leading companies such as Baidu and JD.com, establishing six digital enterprises that offer 3,500 positions suitable for college graduates. Over 800 people have already been employed, with local staff comprising more than 90%. An innovative "locals recruiting locals" model uses dedicated teams to reach out to Guangnan-born youth outside the county. Since 2024, 17 skilled individuals have returned to start businesses, and a cohort of college graduates has come back with technology and capital to found digital enterprises, signaling a clear trend of youth talent reflow.
Service Enhancement: Through order-based training, the workforce is shifting from "physical labor" to "skilled labor." Guangnan established a "government + vocational education + enterprise" linkage mechanism. Since 2026, 64 vocational training sessions have been conducted, benefiting 3,202 people, including targeted "AI trainer" programs for Baidu Intelligent Cloud that have trained 1,115 individuals, essentially achieving "training equals employment." A "one enterprise, one special team" service model provides dedicated support groups of county leaders, HR personnel, community officials, and property managers, coordinating grid upgrades, setting up "happiness cafeterias," childcare centers, and shared bikes to create a "10-minute work-life circle."
Innovative Model: Promoting industry-city integration to build a new employment ecosystem, Guangnan established an employment service workstation in Dongguan, Guangdong, to profile local workers there and create a "talent list" for precise investment attraction. Since October 2024, 102 projects have been signed, providing 4,939 jobs and securing stable employment for over 1,100 people. The Yuangmeng Community has set up an employment and entrepreneurship service station, with 49 enterprises moving in to create more than 3,000 positions, offering "Guangnan experience" for post-resettlement support of relocated populations.
Evolving from primarily attracting traditional labor-intensive industries like footwear and apparel to expanding into the digital economy and other diverse sectors, Guangnan's practice demonstrates that the core of county-level employment upgrading lies not merely in offering jobs but in fostering an ecosystem that "attracts talent, retains talent, and enables growth." As young people vote with their feet, returning home is no longer a fallback but a promising path forward. Looking ahead, Guangnan will continue to deepen its "four innovations" strategy, advancing data-computing and data-industry integration to help more residents secure stable jobs and increase their incomes right at their doorsteps.
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