Rural Labor Research Articles

Research on the Interaction Mechanism between Land System Reform and Rural Population Flow: Europe (Taking Spain as an Example) and China

This paper examines the interaction between land policies and rural labor migration in China and Europe, highlighting how land reforms guide labor mobility and their impacts on land and social structures. In China, the Household Contract Responsibility System and land transfer policies have facilitated agricultural scale expansion and the urbanization of the rural labor force. Homestead reforms have further enhanced farmers’ asset liquidity. In Europe, using Spain as a case study, EU agricultural policies have spurred agricultural modernization, economic diversification, and intensive land use. These advancements benefitted from a mature land transfer market and increased non-agricultural employment opportunities. Both China and Europe face challenges of population aging and rural depopulation, necessitating improvements in land use efficiency, the balance of the scale, and the protection of farmers’ rights and interests. Europe addresses labor shortages through technology, mechanization, and cooperatives, while China employs land trusteeship, transfer platforms, and the “three rights separation” system to combat land abandonment and labor shortages. Future research should strengthen comparative studies between China and Europe, quantify interactive relationships, consider the impact of transnational labor mobility under globalization, explore policy innovations, and foster international cooperation to address demographic changes and agricultural labor shortages. Additionally, promoting sustainable land use and farmers’ rights, equalizing urban–rural public services, enhancing education and training, and improving the social security system are crucial for integrated urban–rural development.

Semantic Web Techniques for Extracting and Analyzing of Cropland Abandonment in Hilly Areas

Due to rising rural labor costs, farmland abandonment is common in China's hilly areas. Timely, accurate extraction of its spatiotemporal changes is crucial for sustainable farmland use. This study presents a novel approach for extracting abandoned cropland using NDVI time series from Sentinel-2 satellite images, exploiting the difference in vegetation phenology between abandoned and cultivated croplands. Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm was used to determine the similarity between NDVI time-series curves of different cropland types. The similarity metrics were used to find the optimal NDVI threshold for abandoned cropland through F1-score evaluation. The method's overall accuracy is 92.4%, higher than comparison methods at 84.60% and 75.6%. The approach captures year-round vegetation changes, expands time dimension data, and improves accuracy. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed decreased patch size, increased shape complexity, and more dispersed distribution of abandoned cropland over time. Major factors were proximity to settlements, roads, water bodies.

Практики хозяйствования народов Республики Хакасия в современных условиях

In today’s limited conditions of the Russian rural labour market, the role of economic activity of the population as an additional or even the main means of subsistence gains an increasing importance. This problem is relevant for people who live primarily in rural areas. The specifics of the existing management of local ethnic communities are established in the culture and presented in the form of ethno-economic structures. Today, their preservation and development is considered to be an opportunity for the growth of regional economies. To what extent have peoples preserved elements of the traditional economic structure at the present stage? The given study was conducted in the Republic of Khakassia, where the Khakass (the titular ethnic group of the republic), the Shors (small-numbered indigenous people), and the Russians (the ethnic majority in the region) live. The article compares the economic practices of these ethnic communities. The results of the study showed that indigenous peoples retain their orientation towards traditional types of economic activities. Khakassians are actively involved in livestock breeding. Compared to Russians and Shors, they have a more numerous and more varied livestock farmstead. Shors are focused primarily on wild capture activities; for many, it is the main type of employment. Russians are less involved in economic activities, but in villages where the Khakass population predominates, they keep a lot of livestock. They are less inclined to consider economic activity as a significant source. Khakassians are oriented towards economic activity; they mainly associate their life strategies with the village. Shors try to preserve traditional crafts, which are the most accessible source of subsistence for them in taiga conditions. In the current conditions, it is difficult to talk about the significant influence of the ethno-economic structures of indigenous peoples on the development of the economy of Khakassia, since these ethnic groups constitute a numerical minority on the territory of the republic.

Social network effect on land transfer willingness of the rural elders: Evidence from China

The elders in China’s rural areas are facing challenges in maintaining agricultural production due to the outflow of rural laborers. The Transfer of land could alleviate the burden of land-based livelihoods for rural elders, but their decisions regarding land transfer are influenced by their social networks within the context of Chinese rural society. This study investigates how social networks impact the willingness of rural elders to transfer land. Using survey data from 782 rural elders in 32 villages across 11 provinces in China, this paper applies multilinear and binary logistic regression models. The results indicate that the willingness of rural elders to transfer land is affected by their social neteork: (1) Internal network scale, network heterogeneity, and frequency of external network relationships have a significantly positive influence on rural elders’ willingness to transfer land, while frequency of internal network relationships has a significantly negative influence. (2) There are group differences in the above impacts, and these significant impacts occur only among male elderly individuals aged 60–69 years old or living in central and western regions. (3) Social networks primarily influence rural elders’ willingness to transfer land through three mechanisms: information consultation, interpersonal trust, and material resource acquisition. A larger internal social network scale, higher heterogeneity within the network, and more frequent interactions with members of external networks lead to greater access to useful information, higher levels of trust in others, increased material resources availability, and an increased likelihood of transferring land. These findings can inform government policies aimed at improving practices related to land transfers and old age security for rural elders.

Can the return of rural labor improve the physical health of left-behind parents-evidence from rural China.

Objectively In objective terms, the return of rural labor force shortens the spatial distance with parents, leading to changes in caregiving support, emotional support, and financial support for parents, thereby affecting the health status of parents. This article, using data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies, analyzes the characteristics of the health status of parents with and without returning migrant children. By employing multiple linear regression models, PSM models, and IV-2SLS methods to address endogeneity bias, the study preliminarily explores the impact of rural labor force return on parental health. The results show that: (1) among the 5,760 older adult individuals, 1866 of them have returning migrant chil-dren, while the remaining 3,894 do not have returning migrant children. (2) Parents' health status generally follows a normal distribution, with a small proportion of parents having very poor or very good health. The proportions of parents with relatively poor, fair, and relatively good health status range between 20 and 40%. Among parents with returning chil-dren, 40.12% have relatively poor health status, 45.01% have fair health status, and a small proportion have very poor or very good health status. In contrast, among parents without returning children, the proportions of parents with relatively poor, fair, and rela-tively good health status are 21.69, 33.21, and 38.45%, respectively. When parents tran-sition from not having returning children to having returning children, their health status decreases by 0.541 levels, indicating a negative impact of rural labor force return on par-ents' health. Based on the analysis results, this article provides policy recommendations from three aspects: how to increase the income of returning labor force, improve the rural pension system, and enhance the concept of children supporting their parents.

Does Rural Labor Transfer Impact Chinese Agricultural Carbon Emission Efficiency? A Substitution Perspective of Agricultural Machinery

In this paper, referring to Kaya’s method, the ratio of gross agricultural production (GAP) and agricultural carbon emission is defined as agricultural carbon emission efficiency (ACEE). Considering rural labor transfer (RLT) increases the agricultural machinery intensity (AMI), the two are substitutes for each other and may interact with agricultural carbon emission efficiency (ACEE). We constructed a Simultaneous Equations Model (SEM) of ACEE, RLT and AMI and analyzed the interaction mechanism of these three variables using the Three-Stage Least Squares (3SLS). The following conclusions are drawn. First, RLT and AMI significantly promote the improvement of ACEE, while the improvement of ACEE and AMI further promotes RLT. Secondly, the causal relationship and influence mechanism of ACEE, RLT and AMI are interactive and multi-directional. For example, an increase in AMI promotes ACEE, but an increase in ACEE inhibits an increase in AMI. Finally, China has significant regional heterogeneity, and different regions have different interaction mechanisms. Local governments should consider the local economic base and technological level when implementing policies. This paper extends the analytical framework of ACEE, RLT, and AMI and provides a reference for governments to make policies.

Fundamentals of Targeted Integrative Program Development for Rural Labor Market Growth in Surplus Regions

This article introduces a systematic approach for developing a targeted comprehensive program aimed at enhancing the rural labor market (TCPDRLM) in labor-surplus regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan, within a socially oriented market economy. The paper outlines key interconnected principles for the development of TCPDRLM, including target orientation, complexity, integration, specificity, variability, realism, optimality, priority, delineation of powers and functions, limitations, targeting, controllability, and interconnectedness. Based on these principles, the article proposes interrelated sections for the program’s development, covering analytical and problematic aspects, target delineation, scientific and methodological frameworks, information management, modeling, software development, resource allocation, organizational and economic structuring, summary formulation, and legal considerations. Additionally, the article details the primary stages of TCPDRLM development, including setting objectives for the rural labor market (RLM), developing methodological and modeling frameworks for RLM analysis and forecasting, collecting statistical, marketing, and sociological data, compiling the TCPDRLM subprograms, obtaining approval for the RLM development program, and establishing organizational, economic, and legal mechanisms for program implementation and adjustment. The article's scientific contribution lies in the formulated methodology for TCPDRLM development in the rural labor market.

Agricultural Scenario of Nepal: Growth Performance and Swot Analysis

This study aimed to determine the performance of agriculture sector in Nepal which would help in formulating better policies for its improvement. The study estimated the growth and instability for the period 2001-02 to 2020-21, dividing it into two periods, period-I (2001-02 to 2010-11) and period-II (2011-12 to 2020-21). The growth and instability analysis indicated that the growth of production of almost all crops were increased during period-II. Oilseeds showed the highest increase in production with growth rate of 6.26%, whereas millet and coffee showed decreasing rate of production in period-II. The area under wheat and millet decreased drastically in period-II. Although instability in area increased in period-II for almost all the crops, tea experienced highest increase. Instability in coffee production decreased from 41.85% in period-I to 15.92% in period-II, highest among selected crops. The instabilities in production were due to natural calamities, lesser and untimely availability of inputs, less priority in the research sector for minor crops and so on. Livestock subsector has been performing well as compared to the crop sector. Prioritization by the government and wide climatic conditions are the major strengths of the sector whereas unavailability of inputs in time and lack of investment frameworks are the weaknesses. Farm mechanization, topography and agri-tourism are some opportunities and climate change, fragmentation of arable land, brain-drain are the threats to this sector in Nepal. The major focus of the government should be on utilizing the rural labor force on agriculture sector through different schemes such as effective crop and livestock insurance, timely supply of demanded inputs and proper extension services.

Social entrepreneurship as alternative form of employment in rural areas

For rural labor market, it should be noted the specific nature of the demand and supply of labor, imbalance between them, low level of professional training, lack of high degree of readiness for innovation, and lack of labor resources. In this regard, we can consider an alternative form of social entrepreneurship that increases employment of the rural population. The goal is to show the most important aspects of development of corporate social responsibility as the best option for improving the quality of life of the population in rural areas through access to education, healthcare and cultural leisure opportunities, disseminating the entrepreneurial skills of rural residents, increasing their self-esteem and self-sufficiency. Social entrepreneurs use local resources and create new markets for agricultural products, handicrafts, and tourism services. Methods – statistical and economic, scientific analysis, comparison. The study is based on the analysis of information obtained from domestic and foreign scientific publications, statistical data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Strategic Planning and Reforms. Results - the author presents indicators of demographic trends and the impact of the state of labor potential on employment in the country and in rural areas over the past 5 years, including the current state of employment and unemployment in rural areas and expanding the range of social and entrepreneurial activities based on entrepreneurial activity aimed at solving social problems. Social entrepreneurship is distinguished by the following main features: innovation, self-sufficiency and financial sustainability, entrepreneurial approach. Conclusions - the author has given proposals that increase social and economic security, employment opportunities in rural regions, stimulating the investment initiative of business entities.

How does digital inclusive finance influence non-agricultural employment among the rural labor force? ——Evidence from micro-data in China

In the context of the integration and development of inclusive finance and digital technology, exploring the relationship between digital inclusive finance and non-farm employment of rural laborers is of great significance in promoting rural economic development and realizing common prosperity for all. Based on data from the 2018 and 2020 China Family Tracking Survey (CFPS) and Peking University's Digital Financial Inclusion Index, this paper investigates the impact of digital inclusive finance on the non-farm employment of rural labor and its transmission mechanism. The results of the study show that both digital inclusive finance and its sub-dimensions can promote the non-farm employment of rural laborers, and have stronger inclusion and inclusiveness compared with traditional inclusive finance. Mechanism analysis shows that both Internet use and social trust can positively moderate the relationship between digital inclusive finance and non-farm employment of rural laborers, and that digital inclusive finance can promote non-farm employment of rural laborers by alleviating financing constraints and enhancing risk preferences. Further heterogeneity analysis shows that digital inclusive finance promotes employed non-farm employment more significantly than entrepreneurial non-farm employment, and on this basis, there are also differences for different employment groups and different regions. The findings of this study aim to provide theoretical reference and support for relevant departments to formulate policies to realize higher quality full employment of rural labor.

Dynamics of class and labour: Evidence from a longitudinal study in Rajasthan (India)

AbstractIn the Gang Canal region of Rajasthan, the cropping pattern changed from a labour intensive crop, cotton, to a mechanized crop, cluster beans. The shift in cropping pattern not only displaced workers from farm wage work but also brought changes in labour hiring contracts with large scale conversion of daily wage rate contracts to piece‐rate contracts. Drawing on a primary survey in a village from Gang Canal region, the paper examines the change in the agrarian relations in rural Rajasthan by analysing the emerging development in the rural labour relations. For piece‐rate work in farm wage work in some parts of Rajasthan, the wage rate is unilaterally decided by the landlords and large capitalist farmers and is denoted as the ‘village rate’. The manual workers have negligible bargaining power vis‐à‐vis the village rate. The conversion of daily wage rate contracts to piece‐rate contracts has enhanced the duration of working day that involves a rise in the rate of surplus value. Access and availability of low wage labour facilitates the accumulation of capital. With the limited availability of employment in the non‐farm sector (in both public and private sectors), workers are compelled to sell their labour power at wages that do not exceed the level of subsistence. The paper concludes with a brief examination of continuum of coercion and varied degree of unfreedom among worker in the village.

Digital technology access, labor market behavior, and income inequality in rural China

This study uses China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data from 2010 to 2018 to empirically investigate the interplay between digital technology access, labor market behavior, and income inequality in rural China. The following salient conclusions are derived. Digital technology access has a substantial negative influence on individual income inequality in rural China, with a more pronounced inhibitory effect on inequality among low-income groups, males, middle and higher professional classes, and younger cohorts. Mechanism analysis suggests that digital technology access significantly impacts a range of rural labor practices, including increasing the frequency of digital technology use among rural inhabitants, decreasing credit costs, enhancing entrepreneurial activities, and boosting rural labor mobility. Based on these findings, this study proposes accelerating digital infrastructure development in rural regions, improving digital and financial literacy among rural residents, and refining inclusive digital financial services to facilitate more stable and sustainable progress to promote common prosperity.

DISPARITIES IN CHINA'S LABOUR MARKETS BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS

This paper focuses on examining the urban-rural gap in China's labour market, using CHFS data. The findings indicate that rural workers in China exhibit a high employment rate due to lower education levels, making it easier for them to secure basic jobs in society. However, they often face lower wages and lack housing and medical insurance, making it challenging for them to sustain themselves in urban areas. It is crucial to recognize that the economic well-being of workers is not solely determined by wage income but also by working conditions and stability. Disparities between urban and rural labour forces cannot be overlooked, as migratory workers also encounter distinct labour agreements and social welfare rights. Research suggests that individuals with lower education levels tend to fare better in rural areas, whereas those with higher education levels typically thrive in urban settings.

Digital Infrastructure Construction and Improvement of Non-Farm Employment Quality of Rural Labor Force—From the Perspective of Informal Employment

The pivotal role of digital infrastructure as hardware support for fostering economic efficiency in the digital economy is widely acknowledged. However, it begs the question, can the development of digital infrastructure also advance social equity, particularly concerning horizontal equity, as exemplified by the quality of non-farm employment among rural laborers, which serves as a barometer for the fairness and inclusivity of the social opportunity landscape? This article delves into the ramifications of digital infrastructure development on the quality of non-farm employment for rural laborers. Initially, it conducts a theoretical exploration of the impact and mechanisms of digital infrastructure construction on non-farm employment quality within rural labor sectors, drawing upon the Todaro model framework and existing scholarly discourse. Subsequently, by integrating data on digital infrastructure construction at the prefecture-level city level with four periods of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data spanning 2014 to 2020, employing various endogenous treatment methods including two-way fixed effects, sensitivity analysis, and instrumental variable techniques, it empirically tests and analyzes the internal mechanisms. The findings reveal that digital infrastructure construction plays a beneficial role in enhancing the quality of non-farm employment for rural laborers, encompassing both subjective perceptions and objective circumstances of non-farm work. Notably, it is observed that digital infrastructure construction significantly fosters improvements in the quality of informal employment among rural laborers, with notable disparities across gender and skill levels. This discovery exerts a positive influence on advancing the sustainable development of the labor market. Specifically, female rural laborers necessitate higher skill proficiency and educational attainment to attain commensurate benefits as their male counterparts. Moreover, caution is warranted regarding the potential for digital infrastructure construction to exacerbate existing power differentials and widen socioeconomic disparities through the perpetuation of the digital divide.

The influence of robot applications on rural labor transfer

Employment is a pivotal driver for ensuring and enhancing people’s livelihoods, with stable employment forming the bedrock for achieving high-quality economic development. In this study, CMDS data from 2014–2018, IFR data, and micro-data from China’s Second National Economic Census were utilized to analyze the impact of robot applications on rural labor migration in China, exploring both theoretical and empirical dimensions, particularly the crowding-out effect. The research findings suggest that robot applications influence labor demand through expansion and substitution effects. The results show robot applications significantly increased the probability of rural labor considering re-migration, with a 1% increase in urban robot density resulting in a 0.249% increase in the likelihood of rural labor re-migration. In addition, robot applications were found to reduce the migration rate of urban labor and increase the probability of rural laborers returning to the agricultural sector. Based on mechanism analyses, robot applications were found to have pronounced passive effects in accelerating rural labor migration, particularly among groups with lower skill levels, individuals aged over 44, those in low-skilled occupations, those possessing strong mobility, and those residing in economically developed areas. The conclusions of this study provide new insights for stabilizing employment and optimizing rural labor migration in the context of artificial intelligence development.

Innovating in an Uncertain World: Understanding the Social, Technical and Systemic Barriers to Farmers Adopting New Technologies

The current geopolitical and socioeconomic landscape creates a difficult and uncertain operating environment for farming and agri-food businesses. Technological innovation has not been suggested to be a “silver bullet” but is one of the ways organizations can seek to reduce environmental impact, deliver net zero, address the rural skills and labor deficit and produce more output from fewer resources and as a result, make space for nature. But what barriers limit this promissory narrative from delivering in practice? The purpose of the paper is to firstly explore the reported social, technical and systemic barriers to agri-technology adoption in an increasingly uncertain world and then secondly identify potential research gaps that highlight areas for future research and inform key research questions. Socio-technical and infrastructural barriers have been identified within the context of the complex hollowing out and infilling of rural communities across the world. These barriers include seventeen factors that emerge, firstly those external to the farm (economic conditions, external conditions including bureaucracy, market conditions, weather uncertainty and the narratives about farmers), those internal to the farm business (farming conditions, employee relations, general finance, technology and time pressures) and then personal factors (living conditions, personal finances, physical health, role conflict, social isolation and social pressure). Adaptive resilience strategies at personal, organizational and community levels are essential to address these barriers and to navigate agri-technology adoption in an uncertain and dynamic world.

Peasant Displacement and Food Sustainability: The Colombian Case

Social migration affects the development of rural territories in multiple ways, as it poses a threat to food security and hinders the achievement of sustainable development objectives. The purpose of this research is to represent peasant migration and measure its impact on food security, since it creates conditions that alter people’s access to healthy food. Our research question is: What variables can be used to measure the impact of peasant migration on food security? A three-stage model is implemented, which includes (i) the acquisition of knowledge, (ii) the representation of knowledge, and (iii) decision-making. These stages are the basis of the methodology developed by the ARCOSES research group (Méndez A. System Dynamics and Social Problems. Bogotá: Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, 2012). The model developed to represent peasant migration and its impact on food security has five components. The model representation was applied in 58 typical rural municipalities, observing a potential loss of 30,580,000 tons of food, which amounts to 5% of the national production. Likewise, it was observed that 70% of migrating farmers are part of the economically active population. Colombian governorships should strive towards a greater and more comprehensive development of rural municipalities in order to avoid massive displacement to urban regions, which affects the availability of rural labor, causes poor agricultural production levels and compromises food sustainability. To ensure peasants’ full access to food and their well-being, an assertive intervention should be carried out by the Colombian State.

Internet Usage and Non-Farm Employment of Rural Labor: Micro-Survey Data from Rural China

Internet Usage and Non-Farm Employment of Rural Labor: Micro-Survey Data from Rural China

Credit Risk Game Analysis and Control Model of Rural Small and Micro Enterprises——Based on the perspective of green credit

RMSEs (rural micro and small enterprises) absorb the rural surplus labor force for employment and entrepreneurship, which is an important economic growth point in rural areas in the future. However, RMSEs have narrow financing channels and difficult financing problems, which hinder the development of the rural economy. If RMSEs want to develop sustainably, they need to find effective financing channels. RMSEs no longer use traditional means of financing through commercial bank loans but are looking for newer financing modes, such as online loan platforms, investors, and so on. This paper takes RMSEs as the main body, RMSEs target rural commercial banks, online loans, and investors as funding instruments, and through building a benchmark model of the evolution game between funding instruments and RMSEs, banks, based on the perspective of green credit other investors industry competition and market regulatory mechanisms and to build a control model of credit risk of RMSEs to reduce the credit risk of RMSEs.

Drivers of Hired Labour Use among Sugarcane Outgrowers in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania

This study examined the drivers of hired labour use among sugarcane outgrowers in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey design, encompassing the population of 8,987, with the sample size of 400 drawn from four villages within Kilosa District. The composition of the sample size was determined through a stratified sampling method, categorising outgrowers based on villages, hamlets and the gender of household heads. Data was gathered through a questionnaire. Descriptive and binary logistic regression analyses were employed, with the dependent variable measured on a dichotomous scale. The results reveal that household size, income, age, gender, land size and farm distance from home significantly influenced the utilisation of hired labour while the level of education was identified as an inconsequential contributing factor. These findings shed light on the recent development of hired labour use among outgrowers in the agro-industrial sector. Therefore, improving the functioning of rural labour markets should be considered an effective way of enhancing labour productivity for the mutual benefits of both households that hire and sell labour.