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Where Are Migrants from? Inter- vs. Intra-Provincial Rural-Urban Migration in China

Author

Listed:
  • Su, Yaqin

    (Hunan University)

  • Tesfazion, Petros

    (Central College)

  • Zhao, Zhong

    (Renmin University of China)

Abstract

Using a representative sample of rural migrants in cities, this paper investigates where the migrants in urban China come from, paying close attention to intra-provincial vs. inter-provincial migrants, and examining the differences in their personal attributes. We find that migrants who have come within the province differ significantly from those who have come from outside of the province. Using a nested logit model, we find that overall, higher wage differentials, larger population size, higher GDP per capita, and faster employment growth rate are the attributes of a city that attract migrants from both within and outside province. In addition, moving beyond one's home province has a strong deterrent effect on migration, analogous to the "border effect" identified in international migration studies. We also explore the role of culture, institutional barrier, and dialect in explaining such a pronounced "border effect".

Suggested Citation

  • Su, Yaqin & Tesfazion, Petros & Zhao, Zhong, 2017. "Where Are Migrants from? Inter- vs. Intra-Provincial Rural-Urban Migration in China," IZA Discussion Papers 11029, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11029
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    rural-urban migration; inter- vs. intra-provincial migration; border effect; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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