What pulls Chinese migrant workers back to the countryside? An analysis from a family concerns perspective

Abstract

The large-scale return of migrant workers to rural China has attracted policy and research attention. To examine the forces behind this return, a theoretical model was constructed based on various family structures, after which empirical tests were conducted using data from the Thousand Village Survey. First, it is found that China's household registration system has resulted in additional costs for rural migrant labor, which has forced many to withdraw from their urban nonagricultural employment. However, this does not mean an exhaustion of the surplus rural labor. Second, because wages for the rural labor force among those who are married and have children are already higher than for the unmarried, there is a limited effect of increasing wages to resolve urban labor supply shortages. Third, family activities, such as family reunions and taking care of children and the elderly, are the main reasons for the return of the rural labor force, that is, their return is not solely because of economic reasons or an unwillingness to participate in nonagricultural work; rather, the utility gained from family activities is the main reason. There, this study has policy implications for urban-rural return of migrants and rural revitalization.