Exploring the relationship between rural village characteristics and Chinese return migrants' participation in farming: Path dependence in rural employment

• Published in: Cities Vol. 88; pp. 136 - 143
• Main Authors: Chen, Hongsheng, Wang, Xingping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Agriculture; China; Cities; Economic conditions; Economic development; Employment; Farming; Intervention; Labor force; Migrants; Occupational choice; Occupations; Participation; Path dependence; Rationality; Residents; Return migrant; Return migration; Rural areas; Rural communities; Rural development; Rural urban migration; Village characteristics; Villages; China; Village characteristics; Rural development; Occupational choice; China; Return migrant
• ISSN: 0264-2751; 1873-6084
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2019.01.016

China's unbalanced growth has caused a gap between urban and rural economic development, which is linked to rural residents migrating to cities in search of better-paid work. Government pro-rural policies over recent years have brought more rural migrants back to their hometowns. This study examines the relationship between village characteristics and return migrants' occupational choices through an analysis of China Labour-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS) 2014 data. The results show that in rural villages where agriculture is the dominant industry, returnees are more likely to engage in farming occupations. The study also reveals that the promoting effect of return migration on rural economic development is subject to general economic conditions of the localities. This study supports the rationality of Chinese government's increasing investment in rural areas. To break out of path dependence for rural development requires the intervention of government forces in order to break through the existing urban-rural dual structure in China. •In rural villages where agriculture is the dominant industry, return migrants are more likely to return to farming.•Return migrants with high educational attainment are less likely to engage in agricultural occupations.•China's rural revitalization policies magnified the effect of return migrants on rural economic prosperity.