Migrants In Urban China Research Articles

Floating or settling down: the effect of rural landholdings on the settlement intention of rural migrants in urban China

The industrialization and urban development in China have driven a huge portion of the rural population to its urban areas. While discriminating institutions engendered by the hukou system exclude most rural migrants from urban rights and benefits, the option of converting hukou has become increasingly available. Nevertheless, few rural migrants have chosen to settle down in cities by obtaining an urban hukou, which contradicts a common perception that rural migrants desire an urban hukou. Based on a recent migrant survey in Jiangsu Province, this paper explores rural migrants' intention of hukou conversion with respect to the availability, type, and quantity of rural landholdings in their home countryside, as well as their socioeconomic attributes and migration patterns. The results of regression analyses indicate that both the possession of farmland and housing land in rural areas significantly influences the intention of rural migrants to obtain an urban hukou in their destination cities. Moreover, systematic variances in settlement intention are found between the “born-after-1980” generation and their older counterparts, as well as between migrants from the more and less affluent regions. These findings suggest that the decision of hukou conversion incorporates varied concerns and purposes among rural migrants in Chinese cities, which should be addressed with more responsive rural and urban policies.

Social-family network and self-employment: evidence from temporary rural–urban migrants in China

We hypothesize that individuals with a larger social-family network are more likely to choose self-employment. We test this hypothesis using data on temporary rural–urban migrants in China. The size of a migrant’s social-family network is measured by the number of relatives and friends this migrant greeted during the past Spring Festival. After controlling for endogeneity using an instrumental variable approach, our results show that a rural–urban migrant with a larger social-family network is more likely to be self-employed. This finding is robust to alternative model specifications and various restrictions on the estimation sample.

Multiple Abortions and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Migrant Women Working in Entertainment Venues in China

We conducted a survey of 358 young migrant women working in entertainment venues in China to explore the prevalence of and factors associated with two indicators of sexual and reproductive health: (1) multiple abortions and (2) the dual risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and abortion history. One quarter (25.4 percent) of the women in this sample had multiple abortions during their lifetime and, of those with any abortion history, 18.3 percent had had an abortion outside of a regulated health clinic. One-third (33.0 percent) of the sample had had an STI during the past year, and approximately one-fourth (23.7 percent) of those women did not receive STI treatment in a public hospital. Approximately one-fourth (23.5 percent) of the sample reported both a history of abortion and an STI during the past year. Women with a history of multiple abortions had significantly lower income levels, were more likely to have sex with clients and with husbands, and tended more to use alcohol before sex. Women who experienced both abortion and STI risks were more likely to report having had unprotected sex, genitourinary tract infections symptoms, anxiety, illicit drug use, and suicidal ideation. Enhanced efforts are needed to improve reproductive and sexual health for female migrants in urban China, particularly those working in entertainment venues.

Wage differentials between urban residents and rural migrants in urban China during 2002–2007: A distributional analysis

This paper examines the wage differentials between urban workers and rural migrants in China's urban labor market. The wage differentials between the two groups are found to be higher at the top end than at the bottom part of the wage distribution in both 2002 and 2007. We decompose the distributional wage differentials between the two groups into a composition effect explained by differences in productivity characteristics, and a discrimination effect attributable to unequal returns to those characteristics. We find that the discrimination against migrant workers increases with the percentile of wage distribution in both 2002 and 2007. We also show that the discrimination against rural migrants has intensified during 2002–2007 throughout the wage distribution.

Hukou-based labour market discrimination and ownership structure in urban China

This paper utilises a 2008 survey on the wave of rural–urban migration in China to provide new empirical evidence on labour market discrimination against rural-to-urban migrants with rural hukou in two ownership sectors within urban China: state-owned enterprises and private firms. By employing a double-selectivity approach, this study shows that the high-wage state-owned enterprise sector is more discriminatory than the private sector against rural hukou holders in urban China. Furthermore, the results from quantile regressions and the wage decomposition inform us that the hukou-based wage discrimination is mainly against middle- and high-wage workers, especially in state-owned enterprises. Moreover, in terms of the magnitude of discrimination, female workers suffer more discrimination than male workers in state-owned enterprises.

Social network, intra-network education spillover effect and rural–urban migrants' wages: Evidence from China

This study examines the determinants of rural–urban migrant wages, paying special attention to the intra-network education spillover effect of the migrants' social network in China. Using the new migrant sample of Rural Urban Migration in China (RUMiC) 2009 survey data, we find that the migrants' social network does have a significant impact on their own earnings. In particular, we find evidence that there exists an education spillover effect of the migrants' social network, which indicates that the education level of the migrants' social network has a significant positive effect on their earnings. We also find that the education spillover effects differ with gender. The results are robust after considering the potential problem of endogeneity.

Education Inequality between Rural and Urban Areas of the People's Republic of China, Migrants’ Children Education, and Some Implications

Education inequality between the rural and urban areas of the People's Republic of China (PRC)—a potential bottleneck for human capital accumulation—has long been of interest to researchers and policymakers. This paper uses data from the China Family Panel Survey (CFPS) and the Rural–Urban Migration in China (RUMiC) survey to compare the education performance of rural children, children of rural-to-urban migrants, and urban children over the period 2009–2010. Results show that education performance of rural children and migrants’ children is significantly lower than that of their urban counterparts even after accounting for differences in personal attributes such as nutrition and parenting style. This provides useful insights for policymaking to reduce rural–urban education inequality and assist human capital accumulation in the PRC.

Commuting Distance of Rural Migrants in Urban China: The Role of Educational Attainment

Commuting distance is directly affected by residential location choice. Most studies examining commuting distance are rooted in the context of a functioning housing market where housing choice is treated as an endogenous variable based on utility maximization. However, in China, institutional forces largely exclude rural migrants from urban mainstream housing systems, and make housing choice an exogenous variable. Therefore, examining migrant commuting distance will help understand how they react to housing market barriers when making workplace location decisions. Given the increasing role of educational attainment in migrant employment outcomes, this paper examines the relationship between migrant educational attainment and commuting distance. Drawing from survey data collected in the capital city Beijing, this paper highlights years of education serving as the strongest predictor of migrant commuting distance. In addition, this paper shows that migrants with a low level of educational attainment are more constrained to nearby informal sector employment, while their counterparts with higher educational attainment are more able to participate in the citywide labor market.

Miao migrants toShanghai: Multilocality, invisibility and ethnicity

AbstractThis paper reports on a recent research project into rural–urban labour migrants inShanghai,China, who are members of ethnic minorities, inquiring into the role of ethnicity in national labour migration. It introduces some of the main features of the ethnic nationalities (minzu) inChina and considers some of the literature on rural–urban migration inChina which may be considered as relevant to ethnicity. The case of aMiao minority family in Shanghai is described in detail to argue that what remains important to them in the city is not their formal ethnic affiliation (minzu) so much as a sub‐ethnic identity of connectedness and intimacy, importantly related to kinship and place.

Illegal Private Clinics: Ideal Health Services Choices among Rural–Urban Migrants in China?

The main purpose of this article is to explore the important issues and the role of illegal private clinics in health services access among rural–urban migrants in China. The function that illegal private clinics substantially play on the health among rural–urban migrants in China is rarely discussed in studies. A study on a migrant community in Beijing shows the disadvantaged status of health services choices and the constraints for access to health services among migrants. It argues that the existence of illegal private clinics provides a channel to migrants for medical services in the city and reflects the difficulties and high cost of providing medical services to migrants in urban public hospitals. Occasionally the illegal private clinics can cause danger to the health of migrants.

Informal kinship care in rural China: the influence of Confucianism and attachment

This article examines the role of informal kinship care in addressing the emotional needs and mental health, along with relationships, of school-age children left behind in rural China. Rural–urban migration in China has caused many rural children to be left behind in their local communities. Based on semi-structured interview data, this article explores Confucianism’s impact on Chinese kin caregivers’ understandings of children’s needs and their childrearing practices to address these needs. Through the lens of attachment theory, this study identified a close affective bond between children left behind and their kin caregivers. This relationship is underpinned by kin caregivers’ high commitment and love for children, and the Confucian concept of ‘benevolence’. It not only provides children left behind with a sense of belonging, it also alleviates their trauma/grief due to separation from their parents.

Joint migration decisions of married couples in rural China

In this paper we investigate whether it is empirically important to take into account the joint migration behavior of couples when examining married individuals' migration decisions in rural China. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China (2011), more than half of rural migrant workers are married. Married couples' migration decisions are not purely individual responses to different social and economic opportunities, but jointly determined within a family unit. The current approaches that examine Chinese migration issues do not explicitly take into account the fundamental differences between personal and family decisions. We extend the current approaches to explicitly model joint migration decisions of married couples. Using the 2009 China data from the Rural–Urban Migration in China and Indonesia (RUMiCI) project, we examine the important determinants of couples' temporary migration decisions, such as the numbers of pre-school and school-age children. Our simulation and estimation results show that when analyzing married persons' migration choices, it is more desirable to use a multiple-choice model than a binary-choice model because 1) it more effectively deals with nonlinearities created by joint decision-making; and 2) it offers the possibility to study compositional change of joint migration outcomes.

Maternal deaths among rural-urban migrants in China: a case-control study.

BackgroundDisparity in maternal mortality exists between rural–urban migrant and urban resident women in China, but little research has provided evidence for related policy development. The objective of this study was to identify associations with and risks for maternal death among rural–urban migrant women in order to improve health services for migrant women and reduce maternal mortality in China.MethodsWe conducted a prospective case–control study in urban areas of Guangdong, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces and Beijing municipality. In each, migrant women who died between July 1, 2010 and October 1, 2011 were identified through reports from China’s Maternal and Child Mortality Surveillance System. For each, four matched controls were selected from migrant women who delivered in local hospitals during the same period. We compared socio-demographic characteristics, health status and health service variables between cases and controls, and used bivariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses to determine associations with and risk factors for maternal death.Results109 cases and 436 controls were assessed. Family income <2000 yuan per month (OR = 4.5; 95% CI 1.7-11.7) and lack of health insurance (OR = 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.6) were more common amongst women who died, as were lack of antenatal care (ANC) (OR = 22.3; 95% CI 4.3-116.0) and attending ANC only 1–4 times (OR = 5.0; 95% CI 1.6-15.5). Knowledge of danger signs during delivery was less common in this group (OR = 0.3; 95% CI 0.1-0.8).ConclusionDifferences existed between migrant women who died in pregnancy and surviving controls. The identified risk factors suggest strategies for health sector and community action on reducing maternal mortality among migrant women in China. A systematic approach to maternity care for rural–urban migrant women is recommended.

The RUMiC longitudinal survey: fostering research on labor markets in China

Abstract This paper describes the Longitudinal Survey on Rural Urban Migration in China (RUMiC), a unique data source in terms of spatial coverage and panel dimension for research on labor markets in China. The survey is a collaboration project between the Australian National University, Beijing Normal University and the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), which makes data publicly available to the scientific community by producing Scientific Use Files. The paper illustrates the structure, sampling frame and tracking method of the survey, and provides an overview of the topics covered by the dataset, and a review of the existing studies based on RUMiC data. JEL codes C81; J01; P36; R23

Temporal and spatial process: urbanisation driven by rural-urban migration in China, 1949-2010

This study analyses the spatial and temporal changes in urbanisation driven by rural–urban migration in China. China began the socialist era as a very under-urbanised country relative to its level of development and that it has been eliminating this urbanisation gap during the post-1978 period. It is the large scale rural–urban migration that pushes rapid urban population growth and contributes to China’s urban economy boom by providing cheap labour. Rural–urban migrant is the main source of urban population growth. Under the special political, social and economic circumstances, the historical trajectory of China’s urbanisation in the past six decades is unique in the world. Examining its characteristics and experiences would produce valuable implications on its future development trends.

The Rumic Longitudinal Survey: Fostering Research on Labor Markets in China

This paper describes the Longitudinal Survey on Rural Urban Migration in China (RUMiC), a unique data source in terms of spatial coverage and panel dimension for research on labor markets in China. The survey is a collaboration project between the Australian National University, Beijing Normal University and the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), which makes data publicly available to the scientific community by producing Scientific Use Files. The paper illustrates the structure, sampling frame and tracking method of the survey, and provides an overview of the topics covered by the dataset, and a review of the existing studies based on RUMiC data.

Regional suitability for settling rural migrants in urban China

Despite rapid urbanization, more than 200 million people living in urban areas are still registered as ‘agricultural’ and are ineligible for most social benefits under China’s Hukou (or household registration) system. This paper identifies the regional suitability for settling rural migrants in urban China based on three indicators (the degree of urgency, the skills and ability of the resettled community to adapt, and the ability of the government to support that resettlement). It takes 2008 government socioeconomic data from a county level into consideration. Spatial, statistical, and decision tree analyses, supported by SPSS, Geodata, and ArcGIS software, show that there are five separate population types, each with different degrees of suitability. These include highly suitable region, region suitable for settling migrants to outside regions, region suitable for settling migrants from outside regions, region with moderate potential, and unsuitable region. This paper suggests that regional policies for settling rural migrants are meaningful, since the five regions are distributed relatively separately. Due to the suitability for different bodies across regions, equal treatment should be applied to both the native migrants and that across counties and provinces. Furthermore, demolishment of the social welfare discrimination adhered to Hukou system and equalization of basic public services will be of more practical significance than the so-called settling rural migrants actively and steadily.

Rural-to-urban migrant adolescents in Guangzhou, China: Psychological health, victimization, and local and trans-local ties

Despite the emerging literature on the health of rural-to-urban migrant children in China, few studies have addressed victimization stressors and stress-buffering mechanisms related to the social relationships that link migrants to their host cities (local ties) and home communities (trans-local ties). This study compared rural-to-urban migrant adolescents and urban native adolescents to examine the relationships between victimization, local and trans-local ties, and mental well-being that might be unique to migrants. Participants were 482 migrant students and 838 urban native students in the eighth grade in Guangzhou who completed a school-based survey in spring 2011. Victimization was associated with suboptimal psychological health in both the migrant and urban native samples. Social ties directly boosted psychological health in both samples, with the effects of trans-local and local ties proving equally important among migrant adolescents. While both local and trans-local ties moderated the effect of victimization on migrant adolescents, that moderation mattered less for urban native youth. These results highlight that a better understanding of victimization stress and how it is affected by the locality of social ties as a coping resource could help to protect the health of young migrants in urban China.

Social capital and economic integration of migrants in urban China

Based on data from a 2005 survey conducted in Shanghai, China, this research examines the role of social capital in income inequality between rural migrants and urbanites. We find strong income return on social capital, in particular on social capital from strong ties. We also observe a great disparity in social capital possession between rural migrants and urban local residents. Although social capital from strong ties seems to be more important for rural migrants than for urbanites, local ties and high-status ties do not seem to benefit rural migrants. Hence, migrants not only suffer severe social capital deficits but also capital return deficits. Given the strong income returns on social capital and the substantial differences in access to and return on social capital between migrants and urban residents, social capital is consequently found to explain a large part of the income inequality between the two groups. Overall, our findings reveal macro-structural effects on the role of social capital in labor market stratification. In China, the lack of formal labor market mechanisms continues to create both a strong need for and opportunities for economic actions to be organized around informal channels via social relations. Yet, the long-standing institutional exclusion of migrants caused by the household registration system has resulted in pervasive social exclusion and discrimination which have substantially limited rural migrants’ accumulation and mobilization of social capital. Under these conditions, social capital reinforces the economic inequality between migrants and urban residents in China. Such empirical evidence adds to our understanding of the role of social capital in the economic integration of migrants and in shaping intergroup inequality in general.

Inequality in Intergenerational Mobility of Education in China

AbstractThis paper investigates trends in intergenerational patterns of educational attainment of those born in China between 1941 and 1990. Employing the 2008 Rural–Urban Migration in China and Indonesia Survey, we find that intergenerational correlation is lower in rural and migrant than in urban populations. The higher mobility observed in rural and migrant populations stems from the fact that the majority of these children complete only junior high school, with some children in the youngest cohorts moving down the education ladder relative to their parents. In contrast, urban children seem to at least maintain their parents’ education level. The persistence of intergenerational transmission of education at high levels in urban areas combined with some mobility, upward or downward, in rural areas is likely to aggravate China's rural–urban disparity. Policies should focus more on the underlying gaps in education opportunities and the improvement in education of the rural and migrant populations.