Society

Migrant workers tend to flow to western regions

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-05 10:29

GUIYANG -- After returning home during the Spring Festival for his family reunion, the migrant worker from mountainous Guizhou Province decided not to leave his province again.

"I can seek a job in the province," said 37-year-old Wu Guangxiang from Xifeng county.

He previously worked in a leather belt factory in east China's Zhejiang Province, earning 3,000 yuan a month.

"But the living cost was high as well," he said.

Wu noted that Guizhou is developing quickly and new factories have brought more working opportunities to this southwestern province, meaning he could seek a job there.

"Although the wages may be lower, the expenses of daily life are low as well."

Wu's words spoke of the change in many migrant workers' attitudes. In fact, many companies are changing their strategy and relocating to labor-exporting provinces and regions as they seek lower labor costs.

According to Du Ying, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), leading electronics contractor Foxconn, which built a new factory in the populous Henan Province last year, has brought 500,000 jobs to the province.

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Also, China's domestic appliances giants TCL, Gree and Haier rencently invested in central and western China, while the agricultural Anhui province, which was traditionally an origin for migrants, now boasts 7 percent of China's output of automobiles and 15 percent of the country's home appliance manufacturing.

Statistics released by the NDRC also shows that during the first 11 months of last year, labor-rich Sichuan, Chongqing and Anhui absorbed, respectively, 150 billion yuan, 401 billion yuan, and 500 billion yuan from outside, up 84 percent, 50 percent and 35 percent.

Thanks to this ongoing investment, infrastructure has been improved."The ever increasing investments will provide opportunities to improve the local transportation systems," said Chen Xiaoqiong, a local official of Majiang County in Guizhou Province.

Therefore, Xu Haitao, an official with the Guizhou Provincial Labor and Social Security Office, said that it would be more difficult for China's coastal enterprises to recruit employers in Guizhou this year.

"China is narrowing the wage gap between its eastern and western regions, and more and more jobs will be available in the western regions, " Xu said. "As a result, rural migrant workers choose jobs near their homes."

"Most young rural migrant workers are so critical of working conditions and wages. They are expecting more benefits," he added.

The phenomenon "return home for jobs" had brought a change in the layout of enterprises in China, which has profoundly affected China's regional development. "This change is a good sign, which could contribute to the balance of China's regional economy," said Li Zheng, professor of the Economic Academy at Jilin University.

Meanwhile, Li expressed that hope that the change could help improve the condition of migrant workers in China.

The population of migrant workers stands between 220 million to 230 million, among whom 140 million work outside their hometowns.

However, their situation in big cities is far from satisfactory. Many feel discriminated against while living in the cities and have met such problems as medical treatment and the education of their children.

"While the eastern and western regions are vying to attract enough labors, a good measure is to improve the treatment of rural migrant workers," Li added.