The Evolution of China’s Rural Labor Markets during the Reforms

This paper contributes to the assessment of China’s rural labor markets, while paying attention to whether these markets are developing in a manner conducive to the nation’s modernization. According to our household survey, we find that the rapid increase in off-farm employment has continued and accelerated during the late 1990s. Our analysis shows that migration has become the most prevalent off-farm activity; has become dominated by young and better educated workers; expanded most rapidly in areas that are relatively well-off; and begun to draw workers from portions of the population, such as women, that earlier had been excluded from participation. JEL Codes: J2, O1, P2