Employment andincome of ruralmigrants in cities

Task force for surveys on the urban poverty of rural migrants

Editorial Note:Rural migrants have become a social focus in recent years. As a special group in cities, they have made huge contributions to social and economic development but are vulnerable to poverty. Unfortunately, their poverty has given rise to a series of social problems. From the perspective of urban poverty and based on extensive on-site research, this paper presents an in-depth anatomy on the overall conditions, poverty and income of rural migrants and puts forward policy recommendations. This research will give us a deeper understanding of migrant poverty and how to improve their conditions.

Rural migrants are the largest group in China’s labor force. They have made huge contributions to the country’s social and economic development but, spanning across the widest social environment, they are highly exposed to poverty risks. They most deserve our attention as a social group. Moreover, relief and security systems for rural migrants are desperately inadequate; they have left the countryside covered by the rural poverty-relief system and are not entitled to urban social welfare system in cities they have migrated to. Given their unique dilemma, research on their poverty is of great significance to China’s poverty-relief endeavors today.