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Segmentation or competition in China's urban labour market?

Author

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  • John Knight
  • Linda Yueh

Abstract

In China, urban residents have traditionally been protected against labour market competition from rural--urban migrants. Over the period of urban economic reform, rural--urban migration was allowed to increase in order to fill the employment gap as growth of labour demand outstripped that of the resident labour force in urban areas. However, as reforms gained pace and controls were lifted, it is plausible that competition for work between migrants and urban residents would have increased. The paper examines whether the relationship is one of segmentation or competition in the labour market. It uses attitudinal responses from two urban surveys. The urban workers who perceive competition from migrants are those who are most vulnerable. The findings are consistent with the presence of continued labour market segmentation, but suggest also that competition between the two groups is increasing. Copyright The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • John Knight & Linda Yueh, 2009. "Segmentation or competition in China's urban labour market?," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 33(1), pages 79-94, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:cambje:v:33:y:2009:i:1:p:79-94
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/cje/ben025
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhaopeng Frank Qu & Zhong Zhao, 2014. "Evolution of the Chinese rural-urban migrant labor market from 2002 to 2007," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 6(2), pages 316-334, April.
    2. Zhong Zhao & Zhaopeng Qu, 2013. "Wage Inequality of Chinese Rural-Urban Migrants Between 2002 and 2007," Working Papers PMMA 2013-04, PEP-PMMA.
    3. Jason Gagnon & Theodora Xenogiani & Chunbing Xing, 2009. "Are all Migrants Really Worse off in Urban Labour Markets?: New empirical evidence from China," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 278, OECD Publishing.
    4. Knight, John & Deng, Quheng & Li, Shi, 2011. "The puzzle of migrant labour shortage and rural labour surplus in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 585-600.
    5. Ming-Zhu Wang & Marco Amati & Frank Thomalla, 2012. "Understanding the vulnerability of migrants in Shanghai to typhoons," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 60(3), pages 1189-1210, February.
    6. Shanfei Zhang, 2023. "The externality impact of internal migration in China: Linear and nonlinear approaches," French Stata Users' Group Meetings 2023 11, Stata Users Group.
    7. John Knight & Quheng Deng & Shi Li, 2011. "The Evolution of the Migrant Labor Market in China, 2002-2007," University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP) Working Papers 201115, University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP).
    8. Gao, Wenshu & Smyth, Russell, 2011. "Economic returns to speaking 'standard Mandarin' among migrants in China's urban labour market," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 342-352, April.
    9. Rickne, Johanna, 2013. "Labor market conditions and social insurance in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 52-68.
    10. Qu, Zhaopeng & Zhao, Zhong, 2017. "Glass ceiling effect in urban China: Wage inequality of rural-urban migrants during 2002–2007," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 118-144.
    11. Liu, Yang, 2012. "Does Internal Immigration Always Lead to Urban Unemployment in Emerging Economies? : A Structural Approach Based on Data from China," Hitotsubashi Journal of Economics, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 53(1), pages 85-105, June.
    12. Zhao, Zhong & Qu, Zhaopeng, 2012. "Analyzing the wage inequality for rural-urban migrants in China, 2002-2007," PEP Policy Briefs 159926, Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP).
    13. Kim, Y. & Gao, F.Y., 2013. "Does family involvement increase business performance? Family-longevity goals’ moderating role in Chinese family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 265-274.

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