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Childhood Left-Behind Experience and Employment Quality of New-Generation Migrants in China

Author

Listed:
  • Jianbo Liu

    (China Agricultural University)

  • Xiaodong Zheng

    (Zhejiang Gongshang University)

  • Marie Parker

    (Georgia State University)

  • Xiangming Fang

    (China Agricultural University
    Georgia State University)

Abstract

This is the first study that empirically investigates the associations between left-behind experience in childhood and the quality of employment in adulthood for young rural-to-urban migrants in China, a population known as new-generation migrants. Toward this end, we consider several indicators of employment quality, including wages, employee benefits, work intensity and employment stability, and explore the possible channels between the childhood left-behind experience and employment quality indicators. Our 2013 Migrant Worker Survey shows that 40% of young migrants (n = 1802) have been left-behind for more than 6 months before 16 years of age and 7% of new-generation migrants have childhood left-behind experience for at least 3 years. Through empirical analysis, we find that the childhood left-behind experience, especially long-term experience, adversely affects the wages and employment stability of young migrants. In addition, the results of this study show that long-term left-behind experience is adversely associated with correlates of human capital, especially mental health, which subsequently affects adulthood employment quality. Policies should be improved to decrease the occurrence of left-behind children and, when this cannot be avoided, programs and services are required to reduce the negative effects of childhood left-behind experience on new-generation migrants.

Suggested Citation

  • Jianbo Liu & Xiaodong Zheng & Marie Parker & Xiangming Fang, 2020. "Childhood Left-Behind Experience and Employment Quality of New-Generation Migrants in China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(4), pages 691-718, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:39:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s11113-020-09568-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-020-09568-w
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    Cited by:

    1. Haiping Xu & Qunyong Jiang & Chuqiao Zhang & Shahzad Ahmad, 2023. "Left-behind experience and children’s multidimensional poverty: Evidence from rural China," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(1), pages 199-225, February.
    2. Wang, Haining & Cheng, Zhiming & Zhe Wang, Ben & Chen, Yuanyuan, 2021. "Childhood left-behind experience and labour market outcomes in China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 196-207.
    3. Xiaodong Zheng & Yue Zhang & Yu Chen & Xiangming Fang, 2021. "Internal Migration Experience and Depressive Symptoms among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Cheng, Zhiming & Guo, Liwen & Smyth, Russell & Tani, Massimiliano, 2022. "Childhood adversity and energy poverty," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    5. Wang, Yajun & Shen, Zheng & Liu, Wenhe & Liu, Yang & Tang, Bin, 2024. "Will the situation of Left-Behind children improve when their parents Return? evidence from China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    6. Zheng, Xiaodong & Fang, Zuyi & Wang, Yajun & Fang, Xiangming, 2022. "When left-behind children become adults and parents: The long-term human capital consequences of parental absence in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Li, Lingfang (Ivy) & Wu, Yuting & Zhu, Xun & Chu, Rongwei & Hung, Iris, 2022. "Job Changing Frequency and Experimental Decisions: A Field Study of Migrant Workers in the Manufacturing Industry," MPRA Paper 115472, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Li, Lingfang(Ivy) & Wu, Yuting & Zhu, Xun & Chu, Rongwei & Hung, Iris W., 2024. "Job changing frequency and experimental decisions: A field study of migrant workers in the manufacturing industry," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    9. 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.
    10. Zheng, Xiaodong & Wang, Yinglin & Wu, Qi & Zhou, Yanran, 2024. "Digital inclusive finance and migrant wages: Evidence from over 700,000 internal migrants in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PA).
    11. Feng, Qundi & He, Qinying, 2022. "Does parental migration increase upward intergenerational mobility? Evidence from rural China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).

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