Occupational Attainment of Migrants and Local Workers: Findings from a Survey in Shanghai’s Manufacturing Sector

This article addresses the linked topics of internal migration and occupational discrimination against migrants. The data, collected from 21 manufacturing companies in Shanghai, indicate that migrants are a heterogeneous group in terms of their origins. Migrants from rural areas are the least well-educated. In contrast, migrants from other cities in China have attained significantly higher education than local workers in Shanghai. Much of the literature compares the occupations of rural migrants and local residents; urban migrants are often neglected. By examining occupational patterns for rural migrants, urban migrants and local workers, this study adds to the literature through a full assessment of occupational inequalities. Such inequalities reflect both market forces (rewards for differing productivity) and institutional factors (rewards on grounds of residential status). economy. Migration was strictly controlled during the era of central planning (1958–78) through the household registration (hukou) system (Shen, 1995). The system required every Chinese citizen to be registered in a particular place at birth and prohibited migration unless sanctioned by the govern-ment. Virtually no self-initiated migration occurred, as people could not survive without local hukou status which was directly linked 1