cement industry is not news, but the downward speed is still beyond many people's expectations. Real estate bottomed out, infrastructure stalled, cement demand continued to decline, prices continued to decline, and corporate profit margins were repeatedly squeezed.
Demand collapse is directly transmitted to the enterprise side. In recent years, from south to north, from cement to concrete, the news of bankruptcy of enterprises has continued. The speed and breadth of shuffling is beyond many people's imagination. When
an enterprise falls down, the first thing to be broken is the rice bowl of its employees. Behind every collapsed cement plant, the livelihoods of hundreds or even thousands of families are cut off. Wage arrears, no compensation, no social security payment-these are not the figures in the news, but the plight of ordinary people are experiencing.
Industry liquidation is the trend of the times, and capacity withdrawal is also the only way for the market to return to rationality. But the word "cost" is written lightly in the report and falls on the shoulders of grass-roots employees, which is a heavy livelihood for a family.
Enterprises go to sea to seek vitality, and grass-roots employees also go to sea?
Domestic roll does not move, overseas has become a new battlefield for many cement enterprises. The layout of overseas markets and the opening up of a new growth curve have become the key choices for leading cement enterprises to break through the industry dilemma and promote high-quality development.
According to the statistics of China Cement Network, by the end of 2025, 92 clinker production lines have been put into operation overseas by domestic cement enterprises, with a total capacity exceeding 102 million tons, an increase of 17.01% over the same period last year. This means that as far as clinker production capacity is concerned, Chinese cement enterprises have established a second battlefield overseas, which is equivalent to about 6% of the total domestic production capacity. The profitability of
overseas markets is indeed far higher than that of domestic markets. In 2025, the total gross profit of Western Cement in the overseas market was about 1.96 billion yuan, accounting for 80% of the company's total gross profit. Huaxin Building Materials has chosen to "break out":-It will take ten years to expand its production capacity to the areas along the Belt and Road, and the high price difference and high utilization rate in overseas markets have become the biggest cards for the growth of profits against the trend.
AI Health Map, for reference
only, the overseas market is very hot, and the recruitment information for grass-roots employees is gradually increasing. But if grass-roots employees want to go to sea, they should not only look at the bright figures in the financial reports of enterprises, but also know a few things in mind:
1. Contract and legal protection are the first line of defense. Sign a formal labor contract to clarify the salary structure, expatriate subsidies and social security payment methods. Labor laws in different countries vary greatly, so be sure to understand the labor laws and regulations of the host country, especially the working hours, vacation, industrial injury compensation and other provisions.
2. The working environment may be more difficult than expected. Early employees of overseas cement plants recalled that the plant area was surrounded by a large area of primitive jungle, unstable water and electricity supply, muddy roads in rainy season and water shortage in dry season. Infrastructure conditions in Africa, Central Asia and other regions are even worse, and not all overseas projects have the same perfect logistical support as domestic factories.
3. Safety risks can not be ignored. In some parts of Africa, regime changes are frequent and tribal conflicts occur from time to time. Be sure to understand the political stability, public security situation and medical and health conditions of the host country before going to sea.
4. The trend of localization means that Chinese jobs are shrinking. Conch, Huaxin and other enterprises are vigorously promoting the localization of employees, and the localization rate has reached 80% -86%. Enterprises are more inclined to train local employees and reduce the cost of expatriation. Chinese employees are more technical and managerial backbones, and there are not enough opportunities for grass-roots posts to go to sea.
5. Family and career planning should be clear in advance. The assignment cycle is usually measured in years, and being away from home for a long time has a huge impact on personal life. More importantly, overseas projects will eventually move towards localized operation, and expatriation is not a long-term meal ticket, but a phased opportunity.
Overseas can not accommodate everyone, where should grass-roots employees go?
The fact is very cruel: going to sea is the growth pole of enterprises, but it is not a safe haven for grass-roots employees. There are hundreds of thousands of employees in the whole industry, and the overseas market can not accommodate them at all. The demand of
cement industry has entered a long-term downward channel. China Cement Network predicts that cement production in 2026 will be about 1.6 billion tons, down another 5% from the same period last year. Real estate will continue to decline, infrastructure support is insufficient, and industry profits are still low. This means that in the next few years, more enterprises will withdraw and more jobs will disappear.
Grass-roots employees really need to plan early. Instead of waiting for the company to go bankrupt and then passively respond, it is better to take action now:
1. Raise the threshold of skills. The cement industry is undergoing a green and intelligent transformation, and new technological capabilities are needed for the transformation of ultra-low emissions and the construction of digital factories. Mastering the skills of environmental protection equipment operation and maintenance, intelligent manufacturing system operation and so on, may be able to seek new opportunities in the industry upgrade.
2. Broaden the horizon of employment. Skills in the cement industry are not only useful in cement plants. Mining, grinding technology, equipment maintenance, quality control and other skills are useful in manufacturing, logistics warehousing and even new energy fields.
3. Pay attention to policy trends. Many places have introduced supporting policies for capacity withdrawal, including employee placement and job transfer training. Understand the resettlement policy of the region, take the initiative to apply when necessary, and do not wait until the enterprise goes bankrupt and liquidates before passively responding.
The industry shuffle will not stop, but people have to move forward. Every collapsed cement plant reminds us that waiting is the most dangerous choice in this structurally downward industry.
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