For subscribers
As jobs dry up, China’s migrant workers are returning to their villages and staying put
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Significant numbers of unemployed migrant workers are returning to their home towns in Chinese villages and remaining there.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Follow topic:
- Job losses in cities are causing a significant return of unemployed migrant workers to rural hometowns, where they remain, raising concerns about stagnation in the villages.
- Economic downturn, US-China tensions, and the shift to high-quality development are reducing jobs, especially in traditional manufacturing and construction sectors.
- Despite government concerns, rural revitalisation policies and income growth in villages offer potential opportunities, though urban incomes remain higher.
AI generated
CHONGQING – When Mr Zhang Feng, 40, lost his job at a construction firm in Suzhou city in April, he decided to return to his village in neighbouring Anhui province to plot his next move.
He had planned to be home for only two months at most. Eight months later, he finds himself still without a job or a clear decision on his next move.
