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Rural migrant workers in China : scenario, challenges and public policy

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  • Shi, Li.

Abstract

Examines the working conditions of rural migrant workers in China. The paper first describes the increase in the number of migrants, from an estimated 30 million in 1989 to about 130 million in 2006. It then provides some descriptive statistics on the regions of origin of migrants, their destinations, the sectors in which they are employed, as well as on their age, sex and level of education. The paper goes on to discuss the difficult working conditions of many rural migrant workers in the Chinese labour market, in particular their low wages, the problems of wage arrears, the lack of written contracts, the long working hours, the short weekly rest periods, the low social security coverage, the poor housing conditions, and the difficulties they face in accessing public services.

Suggested Citation

  • Shi, Li., 2008. "Rural migrant workers in China : scenario, challenges and public policy," ILO Working Papers 994204063402676, International Labour Organization.
    • Handle: RePEc:ilo:ilowps:994204063402676
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    File URL: http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/ilo/2008/108B09_117_engl.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Arnaud Dupuy, 2021. "Migration in China: To work or to wed?," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(4), pages 393-415, June.
    3. Zheng Lu & Xiang Deng, 2013. "Regional Policy And Regional Development: A Case Study Of China'S Western Development Strategy," Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, Faculty of Sciences, "1 Decembrie 1918" University, Alba Iulia, vol. 1(15), pages 1-21.
    4. Lu, Zheng & Deng, Xiang, 2011. "China's Western Development Strategy: Policies, Effects and Prospects," MPRA Paper 35201, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Haining Wang & Fei Guo & Zhiming Cheng, 2015. "A distributional analysis of wage discrimination against migrant workers in China’s urban labour market," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(13), pages 2383-2403, October.
    6. C�line Bonnefond & Matthieu Cl�ment, 2012. "An analysis of income polarisation in rural and urban China," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 15-37, June.
    7. Tongshan Liu & Guoying Han & Wan Nie, 2022. "Optimal Residence: Does Air Quality Affect Settlement Decisions of Urban Floating Migrants?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-15, June.
    8. von der Pütten, Jann Christoph (Ed.) & Göbel, Christian (Ed.), 2013. "Task force: Gewerkschaften, Arbeitsmarktregulierung und Migration in China," Working Papers on East Asian Studies 91/2013, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute of East Asian Studies IN-EAST.
    9. Gao, Qin & Yang, Sui & Li, Shi, 2012. "Labor contracts and social insurance participation among migrant workers in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 1195-1205.
    10. Ariga, Kenn & Ohtake, Fumio & Sasaki, Masaru & Wu, Zheren, 2012. "Wage Growth through Job Hopping in China," IZA Discussion Papers 7104, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Xiao-yuan Dong & Jin Feng & Yangyang Yu, 2014. "Relative Pay and its Underlying Determinants for Domestic Eldercare Workers in Urban China," Departmental Working Papers 2014-01, The University of Winnipeg, Department of Economics.
    12. Weiwei Wang & Lihua Zhou & Guojing Yang & Yan Sun & Yong Chen, 2019. "Prohibited Grazing Policy Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction in Rural Northwest China—A Case Study in Yanchi County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-17, November.
    13. Li, Ang & Wu, Jianguo & Zhang, Xueyao & Xue, Jianguo & Liu, Zhifeng & Han, Xingguo & Huang, Jianhui, 2018. "China’s new rural “separating three property rights” land reform results in grassland degradation: Evidence from Inner Mongolia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 170-182.
    14. Zhou Xun & Michel Lubrano, 2022. "Preference for Redistribution, Poverty Perception among Chinese Migrants," Working Papers hal-03886239, HAL.
    15. Wang, Huashu & Pan, Lei & Heerink, Nico, 2013. "Working Conditions and Job Satisfaction of China's New Generation of Migrant Workers: Evidence from an Inland City," IZA Discussion Papers 7405, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Qi, Jiaqi & Zheng, Xiaoyong & Guo, Hongdong, 2019. "The formation of Taobao villages in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 106-127.
    17. WANG, Sophie Xuefei & Yu Benjamin, FU, 2019. "Labor mobility barriers and rural-urban migration in transitional China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 211-224.
    18. Iris Claus & Les Oxley & Ming Lu & Guanghua Wan, 2014. "Urbanization And Urban Systems In The People'S Republic Of China: Research Findings And Policy Recommendations," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 671-685, September.
    19. Shi, Xuezhu, 2020. "Locked out? China’s health insurance scheme and internal migration," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    20. Xinguang Chen & Bin Yu & Jie Gong & Peigang Wang & Amy L. Elliott, 2018. "Social Capital Associated with Quality of Life Mediated by Employment Experiences: Evidence from a Random Sample of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(1), pages 327-346, August.
    21. Cai, Lixin & Liu, Amy Y.C., 2015. "Wage determination and distribution in urban China and Vietnam: A comparative analysis," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 186-203.
    22. Jonathan S. Bell & Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, 2014. "Sidewalk Informality: An Examination of Street Vending Regulation in China," International Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3-4), pages 221-243, November.
    23. Xiong, Ailun & Li, Hongyi & Westlund, Hans & Pu, Yongjian, 2017. "Social networks, job satisfaction and job searching behavior in the Chinese labor market," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 1-15.
    24. Jinhua Ke & Xiaofeng Fu & Rong Hu, 2021. "The Marginalization of Migrant Workers Reflected in Chinese Movies and TV," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 80(3), pages 991-1003, May.

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