Employment and Incomes in Rural China: The Impact of Recent Organisational Changes

Abstract

The organisational changes that have occurred in rural China since 1978 have been rapid and far-reaching, affecting almost every aspect of the production and distribution system. It is possible that the cumulative impact of these changes will be a qualitative transformation of the system of collective agriculture, centred around the three-tier commune system, that has been characteristic of rural China since 1956. This chapter will, however, eschew the larger questions and will instead focus on one set of issues — employment, work organisation and related topics. Employment will form the organising concept from which the recent organisational changes in China are viewed and evaluated. The chapter will draw upon the notes from a field trip to China in July/August 1982.KeywordsTotal Factor ProductivityPayment SystemLabour InputCapita BasisWork PointThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.