Welfare Programme Participation and the Wellbeing of Non-local Rural Migrants in Metropolitan China: A Social Exclusion Perspective

Abstract

China has seen an unprecedented increase in rural-to-urban migrants in the last three decades, and the extension of welfare programmes to these migrants has been a public concern in urban society. The wellbeing of rural-to-urban migrants is closely associated with their access to various welfare programmes. Although pilot reforms on social insurance extension, which often require co-contribution from both employers and employees, have been implemented in several cities, the participation rate remains low. Participation in non-contributory welfare programmes is closely related to the hukou status, which is also undergoing reform. From a social exclusion perspective, this paper examines the critical issues in China's welfare reforms in relation to the wellbeing of rural to urban migrants. Using qualitative data on welfare programme participation on both institutional and individual levels, this paper argues that the trends of welfare marketization and decentralization lead the welfare provision system to be more selective than universal. This welfare selectivity helps rural migrants with higher economic status become integrated into urban society and enjoy a sense of belonging in cities, while also creating a dual exclusion for rural migrant workers who are disadvantaged in the urban labour market. Individuallevel factors, including employment selectivity, information obtainment, settlement intention, and confidence in future reform, influence the choice to participate in welfare programmes. This paper calls for an increased centralization in welfare system reforms.

City economic development, housing availability, and migrants' settlement intentions: Evidence from China

“…The results further confirm the policy effect of the HPF. On the one hand, social relationships and the sense of identity have a positive effect on migrants' settlement decision (Huang & Guo, 2017), while enrollment in the HPF program means that migrants have formal and stable employment, which will enhance their sense of belonging to and social integration in the host city. On the other hand, although the HPF participation rate of migrants is rather low, the HPF still strongly supports their housing purchase desire, further inducing their permanent settlement intention.…”

The Static and Dynamic Effects of Capital Factors on the Social Adaptation of Chinese Migrant Workers

“…Some scholars use the theory of social exclusion to argue that the main obstacles affecting integration are the current household registration system, differences between urban and rural societies, social security and other institutional factors (Huang and Guo, 2016). Some scholars use the theory of social exclusion to argue that the main obstacles affecting integration are the current household registration system, differences between urban and rural societies, social security and other institutional factors (Huang and Guo, 2016).…”

“…There have been a large number of recent studies detailing the social adaptation of migrant workers. Some scholars use the theory of social exclusion to argue that the main obstacles affecting integration are the current household registration system, differences between urban and rural societies, social security and other institutional factors (Huang and Guo, 2016). Others argue that migrant workers face a high degree of social exclusion in the labour market as well as identity-based exclusion and the separation of social networks (Zhan, 2011).…”

Toward Human-Centered Urbanization? Housing Ownership and Access to Social Insurance Among Migrant Households in China

“…Previously under the planned socialist economy, urban experiences were dominated by the "iron rice bowl" model of secure employment and housing, sponsored by the state through work units and reserved exclusively for urban hukou holders. The model has now been replaced by a social security system more befitting the market economy-one that is based on a combination of individual payment, employer contribution, and state provision [5]. Partially de-linked from hukou and residency status, urban social insurance has become more accessible to rural migrants.…”