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Health Status and Earnings of Migrant Workers from Rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Lijian Qin
  • Chien-Ping Chen
  • Xun Liu
  • Chenggang Wang
  • Zhongyi Jiang

Abstract

The migration of rural laborers into cities for employment has been one of the main driving forces of China's economic growth over the past three decades. Based on a dataset collected by the Ministry of Agriculture of China from 2003 to 2007, this paper examines the impact of health on the earnings of migrant workers engaging in physically-intensive work requiring good health. Our findings indicate that a poor health status not only weakens the incentive of rural laborers to participate in the migrant labor force but also significantly reduces their earnings. A migrant worker in poor health only earns 67 percent of what a healthy worker makes. Among all the human capital characteristics and family economic factors, health status is the most influential on earnings for less educated workers. Labor productivity has a greater impact on earnings than the annual number of days that a person works. Ongoing health-care reforms aimed at the improvement of the health-care services available to rural laborers are urged to help reduce poverty in rural China.

Suggested Citation

  • Lijian Qin & Chien-Ping Chen & Xun Liu & Chenggang Wang & Zhongyi Jiang, 2015. "Health Status and Earnings of Migrant Workers from Rural China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 23(2), pages 84-99, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:chinae:v:23:y:2015:i:2:p:84-99
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Liqiu Zhao & Shouying Liu & Wei Zhang, 2018. "New Trends in Internal Migration in China: Profiles of the New†generation Migrants," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 26(1), pages 18-41, January.
    3. Min Wu & Mengyun Jin & Luyao Zeng & Yihao Tian, 2022. "The Effects of Parental Migrant Work Experience on Labor Market Performance of Rural-Urban Migrants: Evidence from China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-18, September.
    4. Fei Zhang & Xinjie Shi & Yun Zhou, 2020. "The Impact of Health Insurance on Healthcare Utilization by Migrant Workers in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-14, March.
    5. Xiang Kang & Mingxi Du & Siqin Wang & Haifeng Du, 2022. "Exploring the Effect of Health on Migrants’ Social Integration in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-20, April.
    6. Bo Li & Qingfeng Cao & Muhammad Mohiuddin, 2020. "Factors Influencing the Settlement Intentions of Chinese Migrants in Cities: An Analysis of Air Quality and Higher Income Opportunity as Predictors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-18, October.
    7. Yao, Yao & Chen, George S. & Salim, Ruhul & Yu, Xiaojun, 2018. "Schooling returns for migrant workers in China: Estimations from the perspective of the institutional environment in a rural setting," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 240-256.
    8. Chao Ma & Zhaopeng Qu & Zimeng Xu, 2020. "Internal Migration and Mental Health: An Examination of the Healthy Migration Phenomenon in China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(3), pages 493-517, June.
    9. Hui Xiao & Xian Liang & Chen Chen & Fangting Xie, 2022. "The Impact of Multidimensional Poverty on Rural Households’ Health: From a Perspective of Social Capital and Family Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-27, November.

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