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Evolution of the Chinese Rural-Urban Migrant Labor Market from 2002 to 2007

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  • Qu, Zhaopeng (Frank)

    (Nanjing University)

  • Zhao, Zhong

    (Renmin University of China)

Abstract

The paper studies the dynamic change of the migrant labor market in China from 2002 to 2007 using two comparable data sets. Our focus is on the rural-urban migration decision, the wage structure of migrants, the urban labor market segmentation between migrants and urban natives, and the changes of these aspects from 2002 to 2007. We find that prior migration experience is a key factor for the migration decision of rural household members, and its importance keeps increasing from 2002 to 2007. Our results show that there is a significant increase in wages among both migrants and urban natives over this 5-year period, but migrants have enjoyed faster wage growth, and most of the increase of wages among migrants can be attributed to the increase of returns to their characteristics. We also find evidence suggesting convergence of urban labor markets for migrants and for urban natives during this 5-year period.

Suggested Citation

  • Qu, Zhaopeng (Frank) & Zhao, Zhong, 2011. "Evolution of the Chinese Rural-Urban Migrant Labor Market from 2002 to 2007," IZA Discussion Papers 5421, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5421
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    10. Fang Cai, 2008. "Approaching a Triumphal Span: How Far Is China Towards its Lewisian Turning Point?," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2008-09, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. He Zhu, 2018. "Why People Leave Their Rural Hometown:Evidence from 8 Provinces in China," OSIPP Discussion Paper 18E010, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.
    2. Wenjin Long & Simon Appleton & Lina Song, 2017. "The impact of job contact networks on wages of rural–urban migrants in China: a switching regression approach," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 81-101, January.
    3. He Zhu & Tsunehiro OTSUKI, 2018. "Can Two Consecutive Generations’ Data Predict Longterm Intergenerational Transition? Evidence from China with three generations," OSIPP Discussion Paper 18E004, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.
    4. Zhong Zhao & Zhaopeng Qu, 2013. "Wage Inequality of Chinese Rural-Urban Migrants Between 2002 and 2007," Working Papers PMMA 2013-04, PEP-PMMA.
    5. Ariga, Kenn & Ohtake, Fumio & Sasaki, Masaru & Wu, Zheren, 2012. "Wage Growth through Job Hopping in China," IZA Discussion Papers 7104, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Xiaohong Deng & Lei Gong & Yanfang Gao & Xiaoqing Cui & Ke Xu, 2018. "Internal Differentiation within the Rural Migrant Population from the Sustainable Urban Development Perspective: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-15, December.
    7. Fang, Tony & Gunderson, Morley & Lin, Carl, 2016. "The use and impact of job search procedures by migrant workers in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 154-165.
    8. Chen, Yuanyuan & Wang, Le & Zhang, Min, 2017. "Informal Search, Bad Search? The Effects of Job Search Method on Wages among Rural Migrants in Urban China," IZA Discussion Papers 11058, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. 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.
    10. Li, Yunrong, 2017. "The effects of formal and informal child care on the Mother's labor supply—Evidence from urban China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 227-240.
    11. Long, Wenjin & Appleton, Simon & Song, Lina, 2013. "Job Contact Networks and Wages of Rural-Urban Migrants in China," IZA Discussion Papers 7577, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Yuanyuan Chen & Le Wang & Min Zhang, 2018. "Informal search, bad search?: the effects of job search method on wages among rural migrants in urban China," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 31(3), pages 837-876, July.
    13. 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).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    migration decision; wage structure; labor market; rural-urban migration; segmentation; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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