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Urban Labour-Force Experience as a Determinant of Rural Occupation Change: Evidence from Recent Urban-Rural Return Migration in China

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  • Zhongdong Ma

    (Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong)

Abstract

An integrated approach to temporary migration in developing countries is proposed by linking past urban labour-force experience to postreturn entrepreneurial activities. The central argument is that labour migration is a family strategy to acquire both physical and human capital for a future technological transformation. On the basis of an in-depth survey of returned migrants that was conducted in rural China, I focus on the explanation of return rural occupation change in a multivariate framework. I find that it is the improvement of the migrant's skills and entrepreneurial ability rather than their savings and remittances that strongly facilitates a return rural occupational change. The policy implication of the finding is to shift efforts from narrowing intersectoral wage differentials to improving rural learning and training opportunities.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhongdong Ma, 2001. "Urban Labour-Force Experience as a Determinant of Rural Occupation Change: Evidence from Recent Urban-Rural Return Migration in China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 33(2), pages 237-255, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:33:y:2001:i:2:p:237-255
    DOI: 10.1068/a3386
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stark, Oded, 1995. "Return and Dynamics: The Path of Labor Migration when Workers Differ in their Skills and Information Is Asymmetric," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 97(1), pages 55-71.
    2. Zhongdong Ma & Kao-Lee Liaw, 1997. "Explaining hierarchical and interprovincial migrations of Chinese young adults by personal factors and place attributes: A nested logit analysis," Mathematical Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(3), pages 217-239.
    3. Stark, Oded, 1995. " Return and Dynamics: The Path of Labor Migration When Workers Differ in Their Skills and Information Is Asymmetric," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 97(1), pages 55-71, March.
    4. David Lindstrom, 1996. "Economic opportunity in mexico and return migration from the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 33(3), pages 357-374, August.
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