The ＂migrant worker shortage＂ which occurred several）pears ago and the recent ＂labor shortage＂ were both caused by an imbalance between the supply and demand of migrant workers. It is a periodical outcome of spon...The ＂migrant worker shortage＂ which occurred several）pears ago and the recent ＂labor shortage＂ were both caused by an imbalance between the supply and demand of migrant workers. It is a periodical outcome of spontaneous adjustment by the migrant labor market. As rural welfare was greatly enhanced in 2009, migrant workers＇ opportunity cost of working outside their hometowns was raised. The connotation of migrant workers＇ ＂market price＂ is changing. The new generation of migrant workers, namely, those born after 1980, are becoming the mainstay of enterprises＇ employment. Being better educated, they have different lifestyles than previous generations. ＂Leisure and entertainment＂ have become part of their opportunity cost and reduced their labor supply. ＂Labor shortage＂ is an endogenous force that helps transform China＇s growth patter, upgrade the industrial structure and promote urbanization. The seasonal ＂return of migrant workers＂ and the ＂labor shortage＂ which appears around China＇s Spring Festival each year have grown into a unique b,t effective collective bargaining mechanism that helps increase migrant workers＇ wages. Facing labor shortages, governments should regulate the labor market pricing and orientate labor-intensive enterprises towards transition, continue to enhance the social security system for migrant workers and those in rural areas, and make an accurate forecast of the population trend and adjust population policies.展开更多
Our survey data on migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta region from 2006 to 2010 and recent fieldwork show that the enactment of the Labor Contract Law encouraged both the signing of labor contracts and the long-t...Our survey data on migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta region from 2006 to 2010 and recent fieldwork show that the enactment of the Labor Contract Law encouraged both the signing of labor contracts and the long-term nature of these contracts, making enterprises more willing to increase investment in human capital, increase employee insurance and welfare and give more attention to human-centered management, leading eventually to the establishment of an internal labor market that incorporates migrant workers. This is accompanied by progress in human resources management techniques and strategies in SMEs and private enterprise. Although the Labor Contract Law to some extent intensified the tendency for migrant workers to undertake collective protection of their rights, the establishment of an internal labor market could also ease the tension between labor and capital and lead to employees becoming more rational and prudent in safeguarding their rights, thereby providing a basis for a transition from confrontation to win-win cooperation between labor and capital. The Labor Contract Law has accelerated and strengthened the trend of individualized development in China’s labor relations. The protection of labor rights through the two channels of the 'rigid' legal system and 'flexible' internal management can help reduce the risk of large-scale collective labor disputes and establish a relatively harmonious institutionalized labor relationship.展开更多
On the basis of an analysis of data collected through questionnaire surveys of migrant workers informally employed in Guangzhou or working in enterprises in the Pearl River Delta, the present paper suggests that： fir...On the basis of an analysis of data collected through questionnaire surveys of migrant workers informally employed in Guangzhou or working in enterprises in the Pearl River Delta, the present paper suggests that： firstly, migrant workers as a whole are found in a ~ow-level labor market that is segmented and relatively segregated; its internal balance between demand and supply is realized, however, by following a principle of laissez-faire. Secondly, that market has further evolved into formal employment inside formal enterprises and informal employment outside of it, with the latter coveting the two types of self-employment and employment. Thirdly, owing to the rather difficult state of existence of those formally employed in enterprises, as well as to the ongoing reproduction of that kind of state of existence, migrant workers tend to join the informal branch in the split between formal and informal employment. Fourthly, while the work of those migrant workers in informal employment can only serve to eke out a miserable survival, those who are self-employed have a chance for gradual accumulation and upward movement, and so the hope for a certain development.展开更多
文摘The ＂migrant worker shortage＂ which occurred several）pears ago and the recent ＂labor shortage＂ were both caused by an imbalance between the supply and demand of migrant workers. It is a periodical outcome of spontaneous adjustment by the migrant labor market. As rural welfare was greatly enhanced in 2009, migrant workers＇ opportunity cost of working outside their hometowns was raised. The connotation of migrant workers＇ ＂market price＂ is changing. The new generation of migrant workers, namely, those born after 1980, are becoming the mainstay of enterprises＇ employment. Being better educated, they have different lifestyles than previous generations. ＂Leisure and entertainment＂ have become part of their opportunity cost and reduced their labor supply. ＂Labor shortage＂ is an endogenous force that helps transform China＇s growth patter, upgrade the industrial structure and promote urbanization. The seasonal ＂return of migrant workers＂ and the ＂labor shortage＂ which appears around China＇s Spring Festival each year have grown into a unique b,t effective collective bargaining mechanism that helps increase migrant workers＇ wages. Facing labor shortages, governments should regulate the labor market pricing and orientate labor-intensive enterprises towards transition, continue to enhance the social security system for migrant workers and those in rural areas, and make an accurate forecast of the population trend and adjust population policies.
基金This paper is a phased result of the National Social Science Fund of China major project“Research on the Governance of Social Risk Systems in Metropolitan Cities”(16ZDA083).It is also funded by the Research and Innovation Team Construction Project“Design and Application of a Social Risk Management Decision Support System”of East China University of Science and Technology.
文摘Our survey data on migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta region from 2006 to 2010 and recent fieldwork show that the enactment of the Labor Contract Law encouraged both the signing of labor contracts and the long-term nature of these contracts, making enterprises more willing to increase investment in human capital, increase employee insurance and welfare and give more attention to human-centered management, leading eventually to the establishment of an internal labor market that incorporates migrant workers. This is accompanied by progress in human resources management techniques and strategies in SMEs and private enterprise. Although the Labor Contract Law to some extent intensified the tendency for migrant workers to undertake collective protection of their rights, the establishment of an internal labor market could also ease the tension between labor and capital and lead to employees becoming more rational and prudent in safeguarding their rights, thereby providing a basis for a transition from confrontation to win-win cooperation between labor and capital. The Labor Contract Law has accelerated and strengthened the trend of individualized development in China’s labor relations. The protection of labor rights through the two channels of the 'rigid' legal system and 'flexible' internal management can help reduce the risk of large-scale collective labor disputes and establish a relatively harmonious institutionalized labor relationship.
文摘On the basis of an analysis of data collected through questionnaire surveys of migrant workers informally employed in Guangzhou or working in enterprises in the Pearl River Delta, the present paper suggests that： firstly, migrant workers as a whole are found in a ~ow-level labor market that is segmented and relatively segregated; its internal balance between demand and supply is realized, however, by following a principle of laissez-faire. Secondly, that market has further evolved into formal employment inside formal enterprises and informal employment outside of it, with the latter coveting the two types of self-employment and employment. Thirdly, owing to the rather difficult state of existence of those formally employed in enterprises, as well as to the ongoing reproduction of that kind of state of existence, migrant workers tend to join the informal branch in the split between formal and informal employment. Fourthly, while the work of those migrant workers in informal employment can only serve to eke out a miserable survival, those who are self-employed have a chance for gradual accumulation and upward movement, and so the hope for a certain development.
