Hukou Identity, Education and Migration: The Case of Guangdong Photo Ming Pao 12 Feb 2007 Jianfa SHEN Department of Geography and Resource Management The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Contents Introduction Data and methodology Effect of hukou status on occupation Effect of hukou identity on migration Conclusion Photo Ming Pao 12 Feb 2007 Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Introduction Hukou (household registration) system During 1950s to early 1980s, Chinese society was divided into urban and rural areas separately Individuals are registered in a particular place under hukou categories of agricultural population and non-agricultural population Urban residents with hukou category of non-agricultural population were eligible for much economic and welfare benefit such as education, housing and employment The concept of hukou identity in this paper is defined based on such hukou category Left photo accessed on 5 July 2007, http://www.comba-telecom.com/UpLoadFolder/images/comba_news.20031120.3.jpg Right Photo Ming Pao 12 Fen 2007 Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Introduction Since the early 1980s, Chinese people have been allowed to move to other places without change their place of hukou registration Hukou status: with or without local hukou Temporary population people without local hukou Hukou population people with local hukou Temporary (non-hukou) migrants without local hukou Permanent (hukou) migrants with local hukou Photo, accessed on 5 July 2007, http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39623000/jpg/_39623917_migrantap203.jpg Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Hukou system and migration Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Introduction Previous studies focused on the impact of hukou status on migration The temporary migrants were treated as a homogenous group Different hukou identities of agricultural and non-agricultural populations will also affect migration outcome Agricultural population is more likely to engage in temporary migration Difference in permanent and temporary migration is also related to the difference in education level Effect of spatial scale on migration hukou constrains on temporary migrants are only effective for temporary migrants from outside a city Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Introduction Research question Is the observed effect of hukou status on migration affected by Education level Hukou category Spatial scale of migration? Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Data and methodology Guangdong for a case study Rapid industrialization and urbanization since the 1980s Driven by foreign investment Migrant workers are the main production force Largest destination of temporary migration A temporary population of 25.30 million 15.06 million from other provinces in 2000 One per thousand sampling data In 2000, 9.44% of the population was asked to complete a long census form in Guangdong The data set used is a 1% sample of people completing the long census form Sample population of 78684 non-migrants new migrants who migrated in the five-year period 1995-2000 old migrants who had ever migrated before 1 November 1995 This paper will focus on the non-migrants and new migrants Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Data and methodology The occupation data will be used to represent the migration outcome The difference between permanent and temporary migration would be identified education level will be controlled Temporary migrants would also be differentiated according to their original place of hukou within same county-level unit, within same province or other provinces to examine the impact of spatial scale on migration The impact of hukou category of agricultural population and non-agricultural population on migration will be examined controlling the education level and the hukou status Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou status on occupation Majority of non-migrants had low occupational status 64.27% of male non-migrants were peasants 17.49% of male non-migrants were employed as plant and machine operators Male permanent migrants were distributed more evenly among low and high occupations 10.68% were managers and administrators 25.05% were professionals 27.57% plant and machine operators Male temporary migrants were in the types of plant and machine operators (57.20%) sales and services workers (21.49%) Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou status on occupation The spatial scale has clear impact on the migration outcome temporary migrants from the same county-level unit had an occupational profile close to that of permanent migrants, much better than that of non-migrants. the temporary migrants from other provinces had the lowest socio-economic status Lots of female permanent migrants were peasants due to many rural to rural permanent migration for marriage There was little gender difference among temporary migrants Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou status on occupation When education level was controlled The temporary migrants from the same county-level unit had an occupational profile close to or better than that of permanent migrants Temporary migrants from outside the province had lower occupation status than both permanent migrants and non-migrants indicating their disadvantageous position The social-economic status declines from permanent migrants temporary migrants from the same county-level unit non-migrants temporary migrants from outside the county-level unit of the same province temporary migrants from outside the province The temporary migrants from outside the county-level unit of the same province were better than the temporary migrants from outside the province but generally poorer than permanent migrants and non-migrants in occupation status Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration The hukou identity has major implications to people’s social and welfare in China Most permanent migrants have hukou category of non-agricultural population Most temporary migrants have hukou category of agricultural population and most of them come from other provinces The observed difference in permanent and temporary migrants could result from the difference in the hukou status or the difference in hukou identity or both Agricultural population had lower education level than non-agricultural population For non-agricultural population Both permanent and temporary migrants had better education level than non-migrants The permanent migrants had better education than temporary migrants For agricultural population temporary migrants had better education than permanent migrants which had better education than non-migrants Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration The temporary migrants had no disadvantage in education comparing with permanent migrants of the agricultural population They had disadvantages in education only when compared with non-agricultural population Simple comparisons of permanent and temporary migrants ignored the significant impact of hukou identity and education level on migration outcome The poor education provision for agricultural population may be a fundamental factor in the poor economic performance of current temporary migrants The hukou identity is yet another important factor in addition to the hukou status The impact of hukou status can only be shown precisely by controlling hukou identity and education level Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration Considering the people with only primary education, hukou category had clear impact on the occupation status Over 40% permanent migrants were peasants for agricultural population Less than 8% permanent migrants were peasants for non-agricultural population Temporary migrants were less likely to be peasants for both agricultural and non-agricultural population There was no negative effect of hukou status on temporary migrants from the same county-level units Permanent migrants only had advantage over temporary migrants from outside the county-level units Non-migrants with local hukou, especially male non-migrants of non-agricultural population, also had no clear advantage over temporary migrants Low occupation status of temporary migrants is largely due to their primary education which is lower than that of most permanent migrants Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration Considering the people with only lower secondary education Hukou category had some impacts on the occupation status Among temporary migrants, non-agricultural population was more likely to be managers and administrators, professionals, clerks, and sales and services workers than agricultural population For male agricultural population The permanent migrants had the best occupation status, followed by temporary migrants from the county-level units, temporary migrants from outside the county-level units and non-migrants For female agricultural population The temporary migrants from the county-level units had the best occupation profile, followed by temporary migrants from outside the county-level units, non-migrants and permanent migrants Temporary hukou status has negative effect on male agricultural population but not on female agricultural population Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration For male non-agricultural population with lower secondary education The temporary migrants from the county-level units had the best occupation status, followed by permanent migrants, non-migrants and temporary migrants from outside the county-level units For female non-agricultural population with lower secondary education The temporary migrants from the county-level units had the best occupation status, followed by non-migrants, temporary migrants from outside the county-level units of the same province, permanent migrants, and temporary migrants from other provinces Once again, permanent migrants had no universal advantage over temporary migrants Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Effect of hukou identity on migration There was no negative effect of hukou status on temporary migrants from the same county-level units Permanent migrants only had advantage over temporary migrants from outside the county-level units or other provinces Non-migrants with local hukou also had no clear advantage over temporary migrants especially agricultural population Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Conclusions As a society with a dual structure of urban and rural sectors, an important research question is whether an individual’s mobility and migration outcome are constrained and affected by their hukou identity and hukou status in China This paper argues that the migration outcome of temporary migrants depends on not only their temporary hukou status but also their hukou identity largely as agricultural population and low level of education As revealed in this paper, temporary migrants with hukou identity of non-agricultural population, high level of education or from the same county-level cities do have higher socio-economic status than non-migrants and even permanent migrants The observed low status of temporary migrants being mostly with low level of education, a hukou category of agricultural population and from outside the province is a result of their education level, hukou identity, temporary hukou status and the spatial scale of inter-provincial migration Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Conclusions Although inter-provincial temporary migrants from outside Guangdong do suffer from their temporary hukou status The fundamental cause of their low socio-economic status after migration lies in the unfavourable socio-economic environment and educational opportunity at their rural origin with a hukou identity of agricultural population Left photo, accessed on 5 July 2007, http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2006/02/09/CHINA-RURAL-SCHOOL-200.jpg Left photo, accessed on 5 July 2007, http://www.pacificvillage.org/villagevoices/chinancta04/earc%20school%20yard.jpg Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Conclusions The story goes on as follows The rural population is assigned a hukou identity of agricultural population Such population has less chance to receive secondary or higher education either because of lack of the provision of education in rural areas The local urban population is assigned a hukou identity of non-agricultural population, is better educated and is given more opportunities for permanent migration Thus permanent migrants are mainly better educated with hukou identity of non-agricultural population while temporary migrants are mainly poor educated with hukou identity of agricultural population Such temporary migrants especially those from other provinces further surfer from institutional and job market discrimination even with the same level of education in comparison with permanent migrants or non-migrants Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography

Thank You! Photo Ming Pao 12 Feb 2007 Prof. SHEN Jianfa, CUHK Geography