Rooting in the Land: The Role of Social Networks in Migrant Workers' Settlement Intentions

Liangliang Zhang and Haixin Liu

Growth and Change, 2025, vol. 56, issue 4

Abstract: Migrant workers have historically followed a short‐term migration pattern similar to that of migratory birds, which hinders their full integration into urban life, both behaviorally and emotionally. Strengthening migrant workers' settlement intentions through social networks is considered the most optimal solution to addressing the social issues arising from large‐scale urban‐rural circulation. Contrasting with research that evaluates internal migration issues from a macroeconomic policy perspective, this paper examines the role of individual migrant workers' social networks in shaping their settlement intentions within the framework of informal institutions. Utilizing a large dataset from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), we find that migrant workers with extensive social networks are more likely to settle permanently in cities compared to those with fewer social networks. Importantly, we identify social inclusion and participation in public affairs as key mechanisms through which social networks influence migrant workers' settlement intentions. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that social networks play a particularly significant role in increasing the settlement intentions of first‐generation migrants, well‐educated migrants, married migrants, and family‐based migrants. We subject these results to a series of endogeneity tests and robustness checks, and find that our main conclusion remains consistent and reliable.

Date: 2025
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