Economic Gains with Social Pains: Migration Patterns and its Consequences among Internal Migrants in China

Bowen Wang, Xi'an Jiaotong University
Zhongshan Yue , Xi’an Jiaotong University
Jian Yao, Xi'an Jiaotong University
Shuzhuo Li, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Amid China's extensive population mobility, this paper, using 2017 China Migrant Dynamic Survey data and employing Latent Class Analysis, identified three types of migration patterns: Individual Short-Term Labor Migration (ISTL), First-time Family Migration (FFM), and Multiple Family Migration (MFM). It reveals that ISTL significantly boosts migrants' income but diminishes their sense of belonging, highlighting the trade-off between individual migration and urban attachment. Conversely, FFM, while reducing income, enhances migrants' sense of belonging, emphasizing the balance between family reunification and economic opportunities. Income's impact on migrants' sense of belonging varies, mitigating ISTL's negative effect but not universally across all migrants. This research underscores the complex trade-offs between economic gains and social losses in migrants' sense of belonging, affirming the challenge of achieving both objectives simultaneously. Recognizing these complexities is vital for crafting policies that address the diverse needs of China's internal migrants.

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 Presented in Session 41. Flash session Internal Migration: temporalities, socio-economic and health outcomes