As the pace of development and economic growth in China slows, employment prospects for workers on the margins—including migrant laborers, rural residents, and young people—have changed and narrowed.
In an interview conducted on January 22, 2025, Scott Rozelle and Yige Dong, in conversation with Kristen Looney discuss the current employment landscape for these groups, how it relates to economic and demographic trends, and how the Chinese government has responded. The implications for the future and potential policy shifts are also discussed, as well as how the state of the economy and labor market is perceived and experienced differently by people in rural versus urban areas, and those with varying levels of education.
