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Off-farm employment over the past four decades in rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Linxiu Zhang
  • Yongqing Dong
  • Chengfang Liu
  • Yunli Bai

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the trend of off-farm employment in rural China over the past four decades since the reform and opening-up. Design/methodology/approach - Using two sets of panel survey data, the China National Rural Survey conducted in 2000 and 2008, and the China Rural Development Survey conducted in 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2016, this study offers a re-visit of China’s off-farm employment to give us the latest information about its evolution and whether rural labor markets have developed in a way that will allow them to facilitate the transformation of China’s economy more effectively. The evolution of off-farm employment is further examined through decomposition of types, destinations, industries, and population sub-groups as well as the change in the wage rate. Findings - The data show the rapid increase in rural labor activities over the whole study period. Most notably, the authors findnd that a rapid rise in off-farm employment has continued even until after 2008 and into the mid-2010s, which is a time when some feared that macroeconomic conditions might keep rural residents on the farm or drive them back to the farm. In the disaggregation of labor market trends, the authors show that labor markets are acting consistently with an economy that is in transition from being dominated by agriculture to being dominated by other forms of production and with a population that is consistently becoming more urban. Originality/value - The authors believe that the results will contribute positively to the exploration of answers to the question whether or not rural labor markets have developed in a way that will allow them to facilitate the transformation of China’s economy more effectively over the last four decades.

Suggested Citation

  • Linxiu Zhang & Yongqing Dong & Chengfang Liu & Yunli Bai, 2018. "Off-farm employment over the past four decades in rural China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(2), pages 190-214, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:caerpp:caer-11-2017-0212
    DOI: 10.1108/CAER-11-2017-0212
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Yihu Zhou & Tingting Fang, 2023. "How Migration Behavior Affects the Contracted Land Disposal Methods of Rural Migrants in China: An Analysis Based on the Perspective of Geographical Differences," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-19, May.
    2. Qiong An & Linxiu Zhang, 2022. "Public Health Service and Migration Destinations among the Labor of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    3. Rui Sun & Jianing Mi & Shu Cao & Tianyi Zhang, 2021. "Trends and Determinants of Income-Oriented Livelihood Transitions in Rural China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 155(2), pages 601-624, June.
    4. Shuaihe Zhuo & Lin Jia, 2023. "Energy Poverty, Internal Immigration, and Sustainable Development: Empirical Evidence from China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-18, October.
    5. Na Xu & Liqin Zhang & Xiyuan Leng, 2022. "Sustainable Food Production from a Labor Supply Perspective: Policies and Implications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, November.
    6. Weidong Wang & Yongqing Dong & Yunli Bai & Renfu Luo & Linxiu Zhang & Chengfang Liu & Spencer Hagist, 2020. "Returns to Education in Different Job Locations for Off-Farm Wage Employment: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-14, January.
    7. Zhang, Jian & Mishra, Ashok K. & Zhu, Peixin, 2019. "Identifying livelihood strategies and transitions in rural China: Is land holding an obstacle?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 107-117.
    8. Zhang, Tonglong & Zhang, Mengna & Zhang, Linxiu, 2021. "Self-employment of Chinese rural labor force: Subsistence or opportunity?—An empirical study based on nationally representative micro-survey data," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    9. Zhang, Jian & Mishra, Ashok K. & Hirsch, Stefan, 2021. "Market-oriented agriculture and farm performance: Evidence from rural China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    10. Hao, Yu & Zhang, Zong-Yong & Yang, Chuxiao & Wu, Haitao, 2021. "Does structural labor change affect CO2 emissions? Theoretical and empirical evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    11. Wenmei Liao & Jiawei Wang & Ying Lin & Yao Wang, 2021. "Chronic Illness and Income Diversification in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-15, March.
    12. Huang, Jikun & Shi, Pengfei, 2023. "IFAD Research Series 90: Rural Transformation, Income Growth and Poverty Reduction by Province in China in the Past Four Decades," IFAD Research Series 335374, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    13. Roengchai Tansuchat & Sittichok Plaiphum, 2023. "Assessing Food and Livelihood Security in Sea Salt Community: A GIAHS Study in Ban Laem, Phetchaburi, Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-29, October.
    14. Li, Shaoping & Liu, Chengfang & Chen, Kevin & Luo, Renfu & Yu, Yanying & Wang, Xinyu, 2021. "Preschool Quality and Women’s Off-Farm Labor Force Participation: Evidence from China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315016, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Shen, Zheng & Fang, Xiangming & Zheng, Xiaodong, 2022. "The impact of women's off-farm employment on depressive symptoms: Evidence from rural China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    16. Yunli Bai & Weidong Wang & Linxiu Zhang, 2018. "How Long Do Return Migrants Stay in Their Home Counties? Trends and Causes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-21, November.
    17. Zhang, Jian & Mishra, Ashok K. & Zhu, Peixin, 2023. "Land Markets and Labor Productivity: Empirical Evidence from China," IZA Discussion Papers 16575, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Qiu, Tongwei & Boris Choy, S.T. & Li, Shangpu & He, Qinying & Luo, Biliang, 2020. "Does land renting-in reduce grain production? Evidence from rural China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    19. Zheng Shen & Derek S. Brown & Xiaodong Zheng & Hualei Yang, 2022. "Women’s Off-Farm Work Participation and Son Preference in Rural China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 899-928, June.
    20. Liu, Pihui & Han, Chuanfeng & Liu, Xinghua & Teng, Minmin, 2023. "Assessing the effect of nonfarm income on the household cooking energy transition in rural China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    21. Jian Zhang & Ashok K. Mishra & Peixin Zhu, 2021. "Land rental markets and labor productivity: Evidence from rural China," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 69(1), pages 93-115, March.
    22. Qian, Long & Lu, Hua & Gao, Qiang & Lu, Hualiang, 2022. "Household-owned farm machinery vs. outsourced machinery services: The impact of agricultural mechanization on the land leasing behavior of relatively large-scale farmers in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    23. Guoqun Ma & Xiaopeng Dai & Yuxi Luo, 2023. "The Effect of Farmland Transfer on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-15, January.
    24. Bai, Yu & Yang, Ning & Wang, Lei & Zhang, Siqi, 2022. "The impacts of maternal migration on the cognitive development of preschool-aged children left behind in rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    25. Yunli Bai & Fang Bian & Linxiu Zhang & Yueming Cao, 2020. "The Impact of Social Support on the Health of the Rural Elderly in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-18, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    China; Rural development; Employment; labor use and migration; J31; J43; N35; O40;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J43 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Agricultural Labor Markets
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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