Abstract
Massive internal migration to wealthier “upper tier” cities has been a salient feature of China’s recent rapid economic development. This movement has involved not only the so-called “nong min gong” (农民工), or less skilled migrant labor from rural areas, but better educated and more highly skilled talent throughout China. Like unskilled migrant workers, this higher-end talent has long gravitated to more developed cities in the east, especially the traditional “first tier” metropolises of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, in search of better opportunities.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The other 14 cities in order of the list were Nanjing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wuhan, Chongqing, Shenyang, Qingdao, Changsha, Dalian, Xi’an, Xiamen, Fuzhou and Jinan.
- 2.
The figures for GDP are from Chinese CN News (2015), while the economic growth rates for cities growth rates were calculated by Center for China and Globalization (CCG) based on data from the statistical bureaus of Chinese provinces.
- 3.
References
360doc.com. (2014). Rank for New First-tier Cities in 2014. Available from http://www.360doc.com/content/14/0922/16/925586_411510356.shtml.
Atkinson, R., & Flint, J. (2001). Accessing hidden and hard-to-reach populations: Snowball research strategies. Social Research Update, Issue 33. Available from http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU33.html.
Borjas, G. J. (1989). An economic theory of international migration. International Migration Review, 23, 457–485.
Borjas, G. J., & Bratsberg, B. (1996). Who leaves? The out-migration of the foreign born. Review of Economics and Statistics, 78, 165–176.
Boyd, M. (1989). Family and personal networks in international migration: Recent Developments and new agendas. International Migration Review, 23, 638–670.
Chan, K. W. (2013). China, internal migration. The International Encyclopedia of Global Migration. Available from http://faculty.washington.edu/kwchan/Chan-migration.pdf.
Chang, L. (2008). Factory girls: From village city in a changing China. New York: Spiegel and Grau.
China Daily. (2014). Job Seekers Looking to Second-tier Cities for Work, 28 April. Available from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2014-04/28/content_17469164.htm.
China Daily Mail. (2012). Western China’s Rise Set to Eclipse that of the East; Chengdu Seeks to Become a Global Financial Hub, 26 November. Available from http://chinadailymail.com/2012/11/26/western-chinas-rise-set-to-ecplise-that-of-the-east-chengdu-seeks-to-become-a-global-financial-hub/.
China Institute of City Competitiveness. (2014). China’s 2014 Happiest City Rankings, 23 October. Available from http://www.china-citynet.com/yjh/fyphb_show.asp?id=3853.
China Real Estate Association. (2015). National Residential Rate Quotes City Rankings. Available from http://www.creprice.cn/rank/cityforsale.html.
China Youth Daily. (2012). College Students Return to the Second- and Third-Tier Cities due to the Better Employment Environment, 5 July. Available from http://zqb.cyol.com/html/2012-07/05/nw.D110000zgqnb_20120705_1-07.htm.
CN News. (2015). Predicted 2015 GDP Rankings for Cities across China and 2014 Ranking of Chinese Cities’ GDP, 12 February. Available from http://www.mnw.cn/news/china/856428.html.
Curran, S., & Saguy, A. (2001). Migration and cultural change: A role for gender and social networks? Journal of International Women’s Studies, 2, 54–77.
Czaika, M., & de Haas, H. (2011). The effectiveness of immigration policies: A conceptual review of the empirical evidence. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Working Paper, 33 and Oxford University International Migration Institute Paper, 3.
Das, M., & N’Diaye, P. (2013). Chronicle of decline foretold: Has China reached the Lewis turning point? International Monetary Fund (IMF) Working Paper WP/13/26.
Feng, T., & Wang, G. (2010). How private enterprises establish organizational legitimacy in China’s transitional economy. Journal of Management Development, 29, 371–393.
Financial Times. (2015). China’s “Migrant Miracle” Nears an End as Cheap Labor Dwindles, 4 May. Available from http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/211df974-ee47-11e4-98f9-00144feab7de.html#axzz3j243EXSb.
GoChengdu.cn. (2014). Chengdu Introduces Top Financial Talents, 7 November. Available from http://www.gochengdu.cn/business/new-policies-regulations/new-policies-regulations/chengdu-introduces-high-quality-financial-talents-a873.html.
Hugo, G. (2000). Migration and women’s empowerment. New York: Oxford University Press.
Khor, N., Pang, L. H., Liu, C. F., Chang, F., Mo, D., Loyalka, P., & Rozelle, S. (2016). China’s looming human capital crisis: Upper secondary educational attainments rates and the middle-income trap. China Quarterly, 228, 905–926. Available from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/china-quarterly/article/chinas-looming-human-capital-crisis-upper-secondary-educational-attainment-rates-and-the-middleincome-trap/B1CAD6163D9C7BA77F636620569B5F0F.
Lee, E. (1966). A theory of migration. Demography, 3, 47–57.
Lewis, W. A. (1952). The principles of economic planning: A study prepared for the Fabian Society. London: Allen and Unwin.
Liang, Z., & Ma, Z. D. (2004). China’s floating population: New evidence from the 2000 census. Population and Development Review, 30, 467–488.
McKinsey & Company. (2005). Addressing China’s Looming Talent Shortage. Available from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/china/addressing_chinas_looming_talent_shortage.
McKinsey & Company. (2013). The $250 Billion Question: Can China Close the Skills Gap? Available from http://mckinseychina.com/the-250-billion-question-can-china-close-the-skills-gap/.
Migration Policy Institute (MPI). (2003). Women and Migration: Incorporating Gender into International Migration Theory, 1 March. Available from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/women-and-migration-incorporating-gender-international-migration-theory.
Newssc.org. (2015). “Chengdu Talent Program” has Introduced 253 Top Talents to Set Up Their Own Business, 18 March. Available from http://scnews.newssc.org/system/20150318/000547189.html.
Ni, P. F. (2015). Annual Report on China’s Urban Competitiveness No. 13. Beijing: Social Science Academic Press.
Oriental Cultural and Creative Network. (2015). 2015 Spring Chinese White Collar Employers Demand and Talent Supply Report, 27 April. Available from http://shcci.eastday.com/c/20150421/u1ai8678636.html.
People.cn. (2014). Survey Shows: Graduates Prefer to Work in Second- and Third-tier Cities in the Future, 14 July. Available from http://edu.people.com.cn/n/2014/0714/c1053-25277131.html.
Piper, N. (2005). Gender and migration: A paper prepared for the policy analysis and research program. International Migration. Available from http://incedes.org.gt/Master/pipersesentacuatro.pdf.
PR Newswire. (2013). Zhaopin.com Best Employer Survey: Chinese College Graduates Find Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou less Appealing than Before, 13 December. Available from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zhaopincom-best-employer-survey-chinese-college-graduates-find-beijing-shanghai-and-guangzhou-less-appealing-than-before-235736231.html.
Ravenstein, E. G. (1885). The laws of migration. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 48, 167–227.
Ros, A., Gonzalez, E., Martin, A., & Sow, P. (2007). Migration and Information Flows: A New Focus for the Study of Contemporary International Migration. Available from http://www.uoc.edu/in3/dt/eng/ros_gonzalez_marin_sow.pdf.
Ruhs, M., & Martin, P. (2008). Numbers vs. rights: Tradeoffs and worker programs. International Migration Review, 42, 249–265.
Sohu.com. (2013). Returnee Boom: Earn Money in Big Cities, Buy Properties in Small Cities, 7 March. Available from http://3g.k.sohu.com/t/n6095862.
Todaro, M. (1969). A model of labor migration and urban unemployment in developed countries. American Economic Review, 59, 138–148.
Urbachina. (2014). A Third of Chinese Graduates Choose to Go to Second- or Third-Tier Cities, 7 January. Available from http://urbachina.hypotheses.org/8272.
Wang, H. Y., & Bao, Y. (2015). Reverse migration in contemporary China: Returnees, entrepreneurship and the Chinese economy (Chapter 3–8). Palgrave Macmillan.
Wang, H. Y., & Liu, Y. P. (2015). Entrepreneurship and talent management from a global perspective: Global returnees. United Kingdom: Edward Elgar.
Wilpert, C. (1992). The use of social networks in Turkish migration to Germany. In International migration system: A global approach. Clarendon: Oxford.
Zhaopin.com. (2012). A Survey on Employment Expectations Among College Graduates. Available from http://article.zhaopin.com/pub/view/20837-20104.html/.
Zlotnik, H. (1995). The north-south migration of women. International Migration Review, 29, 229–254.
Zweig, D., & Wang, H. Y. (2013). Can China bring back the best? The Communist Party organizes China’s search for talent. China Quarterly, 215, 590–615.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wang, H., Miao, L. (2019). Survey on Internal Migration Among Highly Educated Chinese Talent. In: China’s Domestic and International Migration Development. International Talent Development in China. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6256-9_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6256-9_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-6255-2
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-6256-9
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)