农民工

Farmers-turned migrant workers

A term used to describe the workers in the industrial and tertiary sectors who are away from their rural homes.

These workers are usually farmers with their own plots of land at home, but they choose to take jobs in cities or other more developed areas, where they can expect to earn more cash. Some migrant workers return to their farms during the harvest season, but most of them settle down near their workplaces, bringing their families with them.

By 2005, the number of migrant workers was about 150 million, nearly 11.5 percent of the population. Employed in labor-intensive industries, migrant workers are now a key part of China's workforce.