Why do Chinese migrant workers return? Exploring economic push-pull factors and emotional ties

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Economics
• Urban Studies

Background:

• China's rapid economic growth and urbanization have spurred rural-to-urban migration.
• A recent trend shows increasing return migration of rural laborers to their hometowns.
• Existing research lacks a systematic framework to explain this return migration phenomenon.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors influencing migrant workers' return migration decisions in China.
• To develop and test a comprehensive model based on Push-Pull Theory.
• To explore the interplay of economic, social, and emotional factors in return migration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Push-Pull Theory to develop a structural model.
• Employed structural equation modeling (SEM) for empirical analysis.
• Analyzed the influence of perceived benefits, trust, costs, and support on return willingness.

Main Results:

• Perceived benefits, trust, and costs significantly impact the perception of return support, enhancing willingness to return.
• Government support positively moderates the relationship between perceived benefits/costs and return support.
• Emotional factors indirectly influence return decisions by shaping economic and trust perceptions.

Conclusions:

• The study advances Push-Pull Theory by integrating economic and emotional factors in migration.
• Findings offer nuanced insights into China's return migration dynamics.
• Policy implications suggest that economic incentives alone may not foster trust for return migration.