Journal of East China Normal University (Philosoph ›› 2019, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (5): 11-23.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5579.2019.05.002

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Discrimination against Rural Household at Urban Migrant Labor Market

CHEN Jie1, GUO Xiao-xin2   

  • Online:2019-09-15 Published:2019-09-24

Abstract: Existing research on labor market discrimination against labors mainly focuses on the wage difference among labors with local household and migrant labors, but nearly no attention has been paid to the wage difference and potential discrimination among migrants with urban household and those with rural household. Nonetheless, the comparability between local labor and migrant labor is low while much higher among different sectors of migrant labors. Moreover, rural migrant labors may be more sensitive to unequal treatment and discrimination among migrant labors. Research on this issue therefore would be significant for policy making. Against the backdrop of new urbanization process, it is important to investigate how the situation about discrimination against labors with rural household holders in the Chinese urban migrant labor market. Based on existing literature, we conduct theoretical discussions on the phenomenon and mechanisms regarding labor market discrimination against rural migrant labors. We employ the Oaxaca-Blinder model and data from China Migrants Dynamic Survey(CMDS) by the National Population and Family Planning Commission of P.R. China for quantitative measurement. The results reveal that discrimination against rural household holders at urban migrant labor market prevails in most of the Chinese cities. On the average, discrimination against rural household holders can explain 30-40% of the wage difference between migrant labors with rural household and migrant labors with urban household. Meanwhile, the extent of labor market discrimination due to rural household varies significantly across subgroups of rural migrant labors who differ in genders, age, and industries. Further, this paper also finds that the city-level magnitude of discrimination against rural household holders will first decline and then rise along with the increase of city size, appearing in a U-shaped curve. This paper discusses the policy implications of these findings. Relevant departments should protect the legitimate rights and interests of rural household holders while carrying out household system reform to eradicate discrimination against rural household holders at migrant labor market. Differential treatments based on household such as public service and social benefits ought to be lifted off. Meanwhile, cities should advance household system reform in accordance with their actual conditions and characteristics.