China Migrants Dynamic Survey Research Articles

Double jeopardy? China’s minority migrant children in comparative perspective

ABSTRACT China has 125 million ethnic minority group members and an increasing number of minority children move to cities for better opportunities. Using data from the 2016 China Migrants Dynamic Survey and drawing on the theories of family migration, push-pull forces, and social capital, we compare migration patterns of minority and Han children in China. Results show minority children have a higher probability of joining migrant parents than Han children. However, this may not necessarily lead to more desirable outcomes. Due to limited urban educational resources and their special needs, many school-age minority migrant children work instead of attending school. They also tend to move to areas with higher minority concentrations, potentially reducing socioeconomic mobility. Compared to Han migrant children, who are already disadvantaged in many ways in urban China, ethnic minority children face additional challenges. This warrants increased attention from scholars and policymakers. While our measurement of ethnic networks has limitations and requires further research, our key conclusions about ethnic minority migrants are robust and well-supported.

Research on the impact of land transfer out on the citizenship identity of migrant workers: evidence from China

Enhancing the citizenship identity (CI) of migrant workers (MW) is a crucial avenue for fostering the development of new urbanization. This paper, based on data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), examines the impact and mechanisms of land transfer out (LTO) on the CI of MW. The study finds that LTO significantly promotes the CI of MW. After addressing endogeneity issues and performing robustness checks, the conclusions remain significantly valid. Mechanism tests reveal that LTO can notably increase the degree of family reunification and boost total household income, both of which substantially elevate the CI of MW.

The impact of China's residence permit system on the floating population's willingness to settle in cities

China's residence permit system is the focus of the nation's household registration system reform and a crucial aspect of promoting the new people-centered urbanization. Based on the China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this study uses the probit regression model to investigate the impact of the residence permit system on the floating population's willingness to settle in cities and examines the moderating effect of local government's financial resources. The results show that the residence permit system has a significant promoting effect on the migrants’ willingness to settle. And local government financial resources can strengthen the effect of the residence permit system on the willingness to settle. Additional exploration shows that the residence permit system can enhance the willingness of floating populations to settle in urban areas by increasing their income and consumption levels. Heterogeneity analysis shows that for non-agricultural household registration, high-education, high-income, and interprovincial migrating groups, the incentive effect of the residence permit system is more stronger. Based on the findings, while improving the residence permit system and expanding its coverage groups, transfer payments from the central government to local governments should be increased to effectively improve the value of residence permits, promote the floating population's settlement in cities, and advance China's new urbanization.

Homelessness and migration: The geography of homeless migrants in China

AbstractHomeless people have become more visible in China in recent years. However, research on Chinese homelessness in general and homeless migrants in particular is still very limited. Based on the China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this pioneering exploration of the geography of homeless migrants in China arrives at three conclusions. First, although homeless migrants are often scorned as an underclass of derelict drifters, the majority are educated, married, and employed, sometimes temporarily. Second, although most homeless migrants congregate in the most developed coastal regions, the number of homeless migrants as a proportion of total migrants is relatively high in some remote provinces, with significant numbers residing in rural areas. Third, in addition to the three established drivers: the housing market, economic opportunity, and social support, prejudice towards the homeless is shown to be an important factor in the concentration of homeless migrants and their exclusion from urban society. This paper contributes to an understanding of homeless migrants in China and the factors accounting for their spatial distribution.

Get out of life on the edge: The role of urban public health services on migrants’ social integration in China

AbstractPublic health services for migrants are not only related to their health status, but also crucial to their social integration in the host cities. Using data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey, we examine the impacts of urban public health services on migrants’ social integration. We find a positive correlation between the accessibility of public health services among migrants and their social integration. Research on the mechanisms reveals that obtaining public health services contribute to social integration by improving migrants’ health status, fostering the alignment of hygiene practices with those of local residents and promoting family migration. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive impact of public health services on social integration is notably pronounced among migrants engaged in informal employment, lacking social security, holding rural hukou and having a relatively brief duration of residence in the host cities. This paper presents valuable insights into migrants’ social integration which is a critical issue for policymakers. By improving the accessibility of public health services, migrants will better integrate into host cities. The findings may be instructive for promoting urbanization in China and other countries.

Heterogeneity in public health service utilization and its relationship with social integration among older adult migrants in China: a latent class analysis.

The older adult migrant population in China is on the rise, which presents challenges for the national public health service system. However, the heterogeneity of public health service utilization and its relationship with social integration among the older adult migrant population remains unclear. This study aims to explore the heterogeneity the public health service utilization and how it relates to their social integration. A total of 6,178 older adult migrants from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) in 2017 were included in this study. Exploratory factor analysis was used to categorize social integration into four dimensions. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify different sub-groups of public health service utilization. ANOVA and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the characteristics of different sub-groups. Three potential classes of public health service utilization were identified: low utilization of basic public health services class (N = 3,264,52.756%), medium utilization of basic public health services class (N = 1,743,28.172%), and high utilization of basic public health services class (N = 1,180,19.072%). Gender, education, extent of mobility, and move alone or not, flow time were all predictors of the class of public health service utilization. There were significant differences in social integration across potential categories (p<0.0001). The utilization of public health services of the older adult migrants is affected by many aspects. Social integration deserves attention as a significant influencing factor in the utilization of public health services. The government should pay attention to the characteristics of the older adult migrants and formulate relevant policies in a targeted manner in order to improve the utilization of public health services of the older adult migrants.

High speed broadband and the employment quality of rural migrant workers in China

With the increasing progress of information and communication technology, the employment quality of the rural migrant population is an important yet less-investigated issue related to rural revitalisation in China. Using data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this paper examines the effect of the broadband speed increase on the employment quality of these migrant workers. We explore the effects of the ‘faster speed and lower rates’ policy implemented around 2015 and the variations in remote work flexibility across industries for model identification and causal inference. Results show that the upgrading of broadband and mobile internet services improves the wage rate and reduces overtime work. At the same time, such policy increases the proportion of wage earners and reduces the proportion of the self-employed, which suggests the potential improvement in working stability. After excluding other mechanisms, the flexibility of working modes appears to be an important channel to explain the findings. In specific, the comprehensive index of employment quality increases by 0.49% for each standard deviation increment in the remote working index. The estimates are larger among the younger, female, and more educated population.

A Study on the Influencing Factors of Labor Participation Rate Among Low-Age Migrant Elderly Population

With the intensification of population aging, China s demographic dividend is gradually disappearing, and the issue of labor participation among the younger mobile elderly population has aroused widespread concern from all sectors of society. This paper primarily utilizes data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) to collect and analyze relevant factors influencing the labor participation of the younger mobile elderly population. It examines these factors from various angles, including demographic characteristics, family dynamics, health status, economic conditions, and social security. Furthermore, a logit regression model is established to conduct a regression analysis on the influencing factors of labor participation among the younger mobile elderly. Through empirical analysis, it is found that age, gender, intergenerational support, and health status have significant impacts on the labor participation of this population group. Based on these empirical results, relevant suggestions are proposed at the individual, societal, and national levels to enhance the labor participation of the younger mobile elderly population.

The effect of basic public health service equalization on settlement intention of migrant workers in China: the mediating effect model based on subjective feelings

BackgroundDuring the 14th Five-Year Plan, China aims to transform rural migrants into urban citizens and ensure equal access to public services to enhance new urbanization. Understanding migrant workers' settlement intentions is crucial for their citizenship development. Based on the fundamental role of the right to life and health, equalization of basic public health services is essential. Therefore, understanding the potential impact of public health services equalization on the settlement intention of migrant workers is crucial in China’s new urbanization.MethodIn this study, we utilized data from the 2017 wave of China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) and employed the Propensity Score Matching method to investigate the impact of basic public health service equalization policy on the settlement intention of migrant workers. Additionally, we utilized the Mediation Effect Model to uncover the impact mechanism.ResultsOur findings indicate that basic public health service equalization policy has a significant positive effect on increasing the settlement intention of migrant workers, with an even greater effect observed among the low-income group, the cross-provincial subsample, and the new generation subsample. The results of the Mediation Effect Model suggest that Basic public health service equalization policy can bolster the subjective integration willingness and subjective identity of migrant workers, thereby enhancing their settlement intention.ConclusionBased on the results, we propose to strengthen the promotion of the basic public health service equalization policy and expand the coverage of health records to further increase the settlement intention of migrant workers.

How digital inclusive finance affects the health of the migrant population –evidence from China migrants dynamic survey

ABSTRACT Digital inclusive finance plays a pivotal role in enhancing the welfare of the migrant population. This paper adopts data from the 2017–2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey to analyse the effect of digital inclusive finance on migrants’ health and the underlying mechanisms. The results show that digital inclusive finance significantly improves migrants’ health, which remains robust after taking full consideration of endogeneity. The mechanism analysis suggests that digital inclusive finance alleviates environmental pollution and enhances the accessibility of healthcare services, which in turn improves the health of migrants. Furthermore, the heterogeneity analysis reveals that compared with other migrants, digital inclusive finance has a greater health-enhancing effect on the middle-aged and those without higher education or with public health education.

Analysing the heterogeneity in working conditions of migrant informal workers in China: a test of the WIEGO model of informal employment

This paper sheds light on the internal heterogeneity within the informal economy by examining the working conditions of migrant informal workers in China. It presents the first attempt to test the WIEGO model on the relationship between informality, income, poverty and gender. Based on 107,020 samples of informal workers from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), economic, social and occupational health components of working conditions of migrant informal workers in five employment-status tiers are analysed. The results show the significant heterogeneity within informal workers in terms of their income, working intensity, labour contracts, social security, union and community support. The relationships between the informal employment tiers and income, poverty and gender show a pattern that is not fully in line with the WIEGO model, suggesting the complexity and plurality of heterogeneities in informal employment. The paper concludes by calling for research on regional varieties of the heterogeneity in informal employment worldwide to better understand the unfolding of the inequality-informality nexus in specific contexts.

Characteristics and urbanization of agricultural migrants in the Yangtze River Delta based on new-type urbanization perspective

ABSTRACT Investigating the characteristics of the agricultural floating population stands as a fundamental prerequisite for fostering human urbanization and constitutes a pivotal aspect within the framework of people-centered New-type urbanization. Drawing upon data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), this study delves into the age distribution, educational attainment, and other mobility traits of the agricultural migrant populace residing in the urban agglomeration of the Yangtze River Delta, alongside examining the patterns concerning their places of origin and settlement convergence. Furthermore, utilizing questionnaire data sourced from the CMDS, this paper proceeds to evaluate the urbanization level of the agricultural floating population. The findings of this research are threefold: Firstly, the age composition of the agricultural migrant cohort predominantly comprises youthful and middle-aged laborers, characterized by limited educational attainment and chiefly inter-provincial mobility. Secondly, within urban agglomerations, the agricultural migrant influx predominantly originates from Anhui Province, while beyond these urban centers, migrants predominantly hail from provinces noted for substantial labor outflows. Thirdly, a notable proportion, one-third to be precise, of the surveyed agricultural migrants express a willingness to settle in urban locales, thereby underscoring the imperative to enhance their integration into urban societal fabric and elevate their level of civic engagement.

The Effect of Urban Experience on the Settlement Intention of Rural Migrants: Evidence from China

Urban experience can increase the ability of rural migrants to integrate into cities, thereby enhancing their settlement intentions. This paper empirically supports these findings using data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS). The mechanism analysis finds that urban experience promotes economic survival skills and adaptive capacity among rural migrants and enhances their willingness to settle in cities. It has significantly increased the labor market income, social activity, and interpersonal interaction of rural migrants. Compared with other cities, the urban experience of rural migrants who move to first-tier cities in their first migration significantly impacts their willingness to settle in cities. Finally, further discussion finds that the impact of urban experience on rural migrants’ settlement intention is nonlinear, with an inverted U-shaped curve. These findings can help local governments in China improve the integration ability and willingness of rural migrants to settle in cities through measures such as optimizing household registration and improving the social security system. They can also provide lessons for urbanization development in other countries.

The Impact of a City’s Healthcare Resources on Immigrants’ Employment Quality

This study investigates the impact of city healthcare resources on immigrants’ employment quality. It has implications for promoting equity in the distribution of healthcare resources, which is critical for immigrants’ survival and settlement. Moreover, the relationship between healthcare resources and employment quality is equally relevant to developing-country urbanization. Using data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) from 2016 to 2018, we demonstrate the effect of healthcare resources on employment quality. Cities’ healthcare resources are significantly correlated with immigrants’ quality of employment. The more healthcare resources are available, the higher the income from work, the shorter the working hours, and the more stable the employment of immigrants. The quality-enhancing effect of healthcare resources on employment quality is substantial among immigrants with health training and medical files. Urban medical insurance has important differentiating implications for immigrants’ access to healthcare resources. Healthcare resources enhance the employment quality of immigrants by improving their health status and integration into local society. Promoting equalizing healthcare resources and adjusting the differences between urban and rural medical insurance systems increase immigrant employment quality.

Social capital and internal migrant entrepreneurship: Evidence from urban China

The increasing flow of interregional migration can lead to the reconstruction of social capital. Unlike international migrants who tend to engage in enclave entrepreneurship, internal migrants are dispersed in host regions and experience the dual dynamic of alienation from their original social networks as well as integration into new societies. Using data collected from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), we examine different dimensions of social capital and their effects on migrant entrepreneurship. The results demonstrate that both enclave relationships from preexisting networks and the local identity newly established in host cities have a significant positive effect on migrant entrepreneurial activities. By distinguishing self-employment from entrepreneurial activities, the two dimensions of social capital exert significant influence on employer-based entrepreneurial activities, while local identity fails to promote the impact on urban migrants. Our study calls for a nuanced and situatedness understanding of social capital and migrant entrepreneurship.

How does housing affordability affect migration intentions of married migrant workers? Social integration as a mediating variable

Increasing migrant workers’ belongingness to the locality is an important step in accelerating high-quality urbanization. Settlement intention can largely indicate this sense of belongingness, which is crucially affected by housing and social integration. Although the settlement intention of migrant workers has been widely investigated, inadequate attention has been paid to hukou transfer intention, which reflects the unique institutional arrangement in China. As family migration has become a trend, this study aims to investigate the two-dimensional migration intentions of married migrant workers in China, i.e. settlement intention and hukou transfer intention, and the mediating role of social integration between housing affordability and migration intentions. Based on the data from China Migrants Dynamic Survey 2017, the structural equation modelling was employed. Furthermore, four dimensions of social integration were examined (economic, social relation, cultural and psychological). The overall hukou transfer intention of married migrant workers was found to be low, whereas the settlement intention was relatively high. Social integration partially mediated the relationship between housing affordability and migration intentions. The regional characteristics of original and inflow places should be given special attention because they substantially affect married migrant workers’ levels of social integration and migration intentions.

Impact of digital infrastructure construction on the migrants’ utilization of basic public health services in China

BackgroundGlobal digitalization significantly impacts public health by improving healthcare access for marginalized populations. In China, socioeconomic disparities and the Hukou system create significant barriers for the migrant population to access basic public health services (BPHS). This study aimed to assess how digital infrastructure construction (DIC) affects BPHS utilization among China’s migrant populations, filling a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between digital advancements and health service accessibility.MethodsThis research used micro-level data from the 2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey and incorporated variables aligned with the Broadband China policy to employ a comprehensive empirical strategy. It included baseline regressions, robustness checks through propensity score matching and machine learning techniques, and heterogeneity analysis to explore the differential impacts of DIC based on gender, age, education level, and Hukou status.ResultsThe findings revealed that DIC significantly enhances the likelihood of migrants establishing health records and registering with family doctors, demonstrating quantifiable improvements in health service utilization. Heterogeneity analysis further indicated that the beneficial impacts of DIC were more pronounced among female migrants, those with higher education levels, younger populations, and urban Hukou holders.ConclusionsDIC plays a crucial role in bridging the accessibility gap to BPHS for migrant populations in China, contributing to narrowing health disparities and advancing social equity. These results emphasize the significance of digital infrastructure in public health strategies and offer valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies on the sustained effects of DIC and tailor digital health initiatives to meet the unique needs of migrant populations, promoting inclusive health policy planning and implementation.

How migrant composition affects attitudes of urban locals in urban China: A two-scale study

Scholars have shown increasing interest in how inter-group interactions in different spaces influence inter-group relations. However, there has been limited recent knowledge from China on this topic. In China, its hukou system has differentiated internal migrants and urban locals in many spheres for over 40 years, causing significant social exclusion and persistent prejudice towards internal migrants in cities. However, surveys and research on inter-group relationships have mainly focused on investigating migrants, neglecting urban locals. In essence, how the diverse compositions of the migrant population have influenced natives' attitudes towards immigrants needs further examination. Using the China Migrants Dynamic Survey 2017, this study applies multi-level mixed-effects ordered logistic regression models to examine how six aspects of migrant composition at the neighborhood and district levels affect urban locals' three attitudes towards migrants: hostility, superficial acceptance, and deep acceptance. This study addresses the demographic transitions of the migrant population and the socio-economic context of contemporary China and applies the contact and conflict theories to interpret the results. Findings reveal that exposure to the migrant population with a high share of rural-hukou migrants and inner-province migrants harms inter-group understanding. Exposure to blue-collar migrants, above-college education migrants, and migrants who frequently communicate with locals leads to positive contacts and improves urban locals’ attitudes towards migrants. The effect of migrant compositions on hostility, superficial, and deep acceptance varies. In addition to the frequently studied neighborhood level, migrant composition at the district level is also vital in influencing inter-group relationships. Last, the effects of migrant composition also vary among different sub-groups of urban locals.

Can digital financial inclusion help reduce migrant workers' overwork? Evidence from China.

Migrant workers in China are migrants from the rural to the urban areas who usually work in the cities and return to the countryside after a certain period. Due to China's strict household registration system, they differ significantly from urban residents' access to public services. However, at the same time, China's workers are facing a severe phenomenon of overwork, and the group of migrant workers is even more hard-hit by overwork, which will cause various adverse effects on workers and society and should attract the attention of all sectors of society. This paper focuses on the impact of digital financial inclusion on the overwork of migrant workers. This study considered cross-sectional data containing 98,047 samples based on the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey 2017 (CMDS) and China Municipal Statistical Yearbook after robustness tests and heterogeneity analysis using probit models. (1) digital financial inclusion can effectively alleviate overwork among migrant workers; (2) the impact of digital finance on overwork is more significant for the new generation, digitized industries, and self-employed migrant workers; it is also more significant for the South, East, and small and medium-sized cities than for the North, the Midwest, and large cities; (3) job quality and income are crucial factors in how digital financial inclusion affects overwork among migrant workers. Digital financial inclusion can improve the quality of employment for migrant workers and alleviate overwork. However, the income substitution effect partially reduces the inhibitory impact of digital financial inclusion on overwork. Continuously promote the development of digital inclusive finance, improve laws and regulations, and protect the labor rights and interests of migrant workers. At the same time, vocational training and skills upgrading for rural migrant workers should be strengthened to improve the quality of their employment so that they can leave the secondary labor market and enter the primary labor market.

Relationship between hukou conversion and psychological integration of rural older migrants: the mediating effect of accessibility to health resources

ObjectiveThis study investigates the relationship between hukou conversion and the psychological integration of rural older migrants, exploring the mediating role of accessibility to health resources.MethodsThe 3,963 valid samples of rural older migrants included in the study were sourced from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS). The study established a multiple linear regression model for estimation and utilized inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) method to correct for the selection bias of hukou conversion.ResultsCompared to older migrants with rural hukou, merit-based (β = 0.384, 95% CI: 0.265 to 0.504), family-based (β = 0.371, 95% CI: 0.178 to 0.565) and policy-based (β = 0.306, 95% CI: 0.124 to 0.487) converters have significantly higher psychological integration. These findings remain robust even after addressing the potential issue of endogenous selection bias using the IPWRA method. Bootstrap mediating effect tests indicate that hukou conversion can indirectly affect psychological integration through the mediator role of health resources accessibility.ConclusionAccessibility of health resources mediates the association between hukou conversion and psychological integration. Policymakers should enhance the implementation of hukou conversion, strengthen the health resource guarantee system, and achieve a deeper psychological integration among rural older migrants.