The Chinese labor market, 2000–2024

Junsen Zhang and Jia Wu
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Jia Wu: Lingnan College, Sun Yat-sen University, China

IZA World of Labor, 2025, No 437v2, 437v2

Abstract: China experienced significant economic progress over the past few decades, with an annual average GDP growth of approximately 8.6%. Population expansion has certainly been a contributing factor, but that is now changing as China rapidly ages. Rural migrants are set to play a key role in compensating for future labor shortages. However, they still face significant barriers to live in cities permanently, resulting in surging waves of return migration in recent years. Additionally, China faces a low fertility rate of 1.01 births per woman, although the population control policy has been relaxed. Millions of people are employed in the food delivery and courier industry, yet with little social benefit and insurance, which poses potential challenges for China’s labor market stability.

Keywords: Chinese labor market; rural migrants; aging population; low fertility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J21 J31 J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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