How Destination City and Source Landholding Factors Influence Migrant Socio-Economic Integration in the Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region

Abstract

Few studies have analyzed the mixed effects of city size and land factors at the macro level on migrant socio-economic integration. On the basis of survey data on migrants in the Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region (PRDMR), this study developed a system of multidimensional indicators for analyzing the degree of migrant socio-economic integration and factors influencing it. This study demonstrated the following: (1) The overall degree of socio-economic integration of migrants in the PRDMR was low. Factors including city size, hometown landholding, year of birth, education level, gender, and migratory duration exerted effects of varying extents on the degree of the socio-economic integration of migrants. (2) Better job positions were offered and infrastructure was more developed in first-tier cities, so the degree of migrant economic integration was higher, and the sense of identity was stronger in first-tier cities. Given the low housing prices in second-tier cities, migrants therein were more likely to buy a house and achieve family integration, and the degree of their social integration was stronger. (3) In terms of source landholding factors, the degree of socio-economic integration was relatively low among the migrants who owned arable land and homesteads, and who were born outside Guangdong Province. The study tries to measure the socio-economic integration of immigrants more comprehensively and provide reference for the implementation of differentiated socio-economic integration policies and land transfer policies in the immigration and emigration areas.