Survey Report on Population Migration of
Changchun City

Chapter I: Introduction

It can be argued that in developing countries, a majority of the urban population is formed through population migration. In the city of Changchun, Jilin Province, population migration in recent years has also been accelerated by the promotion of China's economic reform, an urbanized population, and continued industrialization.

The total population of Changchun city in recent years has been rapidly increasing, and a major part of the city's population growth is attributed to the population migration. According to the 4th population census, in the five years from 1985 to 1990, the 202,000 population flowed into Changchun city, occupying approximately 10% of the total population as of 1990 in the city. It is forecast that the population influx since 1990 has also increased to a great extent. Accordingly, it is understandable that a study on population migration has become indispensable for the social and economic development of Changchun city. This report analyzes the reasons for the population migration, the division of migratory and non-migratory populations, the difference in the awareness of child-bearing between the migratory population and other population, and the impact that population migration places on the development potentiality of Changchun city. This report is based on data taken from a sampling survey on population migration conducted in 1995.

Chapter II: Data and Methodology

The survey data in this report are based on a survey on the population migration of Changchun city conducted in 1995. A sampling survey was conducted on 100 people, whose occupations have been classified into managerial workers, scientific and technical workers, cultural and educational workers, service-related workers, and self-employed workers. The ages of surveyed people ranged from 20 to 60. This survey report has also utilized the data from the 4th population census conducted in 1990, as well as data from a sampling survey on population migration in 74 cities throughout China.

Chapter III: Reasons for Population Migration in Changchun City, and its Characteristics

In Changchun city, like many other cities in developing countries, the urbanization of population and industrialization have absorbed a great number of the migratory population. Moreover, the characteristics of migratory population have greatly changed in the aspects of age, sex, occupation, education and marriage. These characteristics are closely related to the social conditions, culture, politics and economy of the society where they in-migrate. This report will analyze the impact of in-migrants on the social and economic development of Changchun city, through investigating in-migrants' characteristics such as age, occupation, marriage and other factors.

1. Ages of in-migrants to Changchun
Table 1 shows the ages of in-migrants into Changchun and the number of years after their in-migration. We can make the following conclusion based on an analysis of Table 1 : First, the age of in-migrants is mainly centered within the range of 20-40 and 0-20. As it is understandable that the population aged within this range are comparatively active in migrating, the in-migrants aged 21-30 show a longer period of years after their in-migration than those aged 41-50. Secondly, as for the category of 10-20 years after in-migration, in-migrants aged 31-40 show a higher figure than any other age group.

Table 1: Ages of in-migrants to Changchun, and Number of Years after In-migration

An analysis of Table 1 indicates that the reasons for the in-migrants' concentration among those aged 21 -40 are manifold and complicated. There are various reasons, including entrance into higher-level schools, employment, changes to jobs with better conditions, marriage and others. Whatever the reason for migration may be, when observed from the viewpoint of the development of the people's physiological and psychological maturity, it can be said that people under age 20 are at the stage of preparing to enter society, people aged 20-25 are at the stage of preparing for and stabilizing employment, and people aged around 35 are usually looking for better and stabler jobs. As such, the population migration usually can be said to concentrate on the younger generation. Generally speaking, the younger generation is not satisfied with the status quo. In particular, the younger generation with a higher intellectual level tends to psychologically seek a job with better conditions. The age distribution of inmigrants to Changchun basically coincides with the features of population migration in other developing countries .

2. Features of reasons behind migration into Changchun
When we take a look at the division of reasons for migration into Changchun, we find the strongest reasons to be employment and entrance into higher-level schools. These two reasons in Changchun coincide with the two reasons for migration found in the data of the 4th population census of China (the former was 26.23% and the latter 31.20% in the 4th population census). (See Table 2 .)

Table 2: Division of Reasons for Migration into Changchun

Changchun is the provincial capital of Jilin Province, and an area where China's cultural, educational and scientific institutions are concentrated. With the progress of reforms and the door-opening of the country, Changchun has been more active as a cultural city where various undertakings are promoted in the fields of education, culture and science. In 1990, for every 100,000 persons within the urban districts of Changchun, there were 8,000 persons aged six or older who received an education at the level of primary school or higher. As seen from Table 3, for every 1O0,000 persons, there were 1,012 persons who received a university-level education, more than double the figure of 496 in 1982. Also, the portion ofthe population with a junior- and senior-high school education sharply increased. The rapid increase in the number of university students has been accelerated by the in-migrants who receive a higher education. This is shown by the very high percentage of in-migration for education, second only to the seeking of employment. It can be said that as a cultural city, Changchun has absorbed a great number of in-migrants of a higher educational level through its 26 universities and colleges. (See Table 3.)

Table 3: Population at Various Educational Levels per 100,000 Persons

3. Occupational characteristics of in-migrants to Changchun
In recent years, with the development of a commodity-based economy, population migration has become more brisk in the social and economic sphere, showing another significant population movement. Migration activities are closely related with the individuals' own wills. This is in comparison of the status quo with other possible choices of occupation. An occupation is to offer services with physical strength, intellect, knowledge and technique, in exchange for tangible or intangible remuneration. Thus, it becomes possible to sustain one's daily life. The in-migrants' choices of enterprises and occupations differ according to labor requirements, working conditions and emotional satisfaction. In addition, there are restrictive factors, such as the individual's conditions, motivation, and physical and mental health conditions.

Table 4: Occupations by Migrant and Non-migrant Populations

As shown in Table 4, the recent development of Changchun's commodity-based economy, as well as the fields of science and technology, has absorbed a great number of people engaged in the fields of science, technology and culture, including self-employed workers. When we take a look at the percentage of the population that has recently migrated into Changchun, high rates are held by those who are working in the fields of science, technology, culture and education, including self-employed workers. This signifies Changchun's position and role as a cultural city in China. In addition, the remarkable development of Changchun's commodity-based and social economies are evidenced by the fact that Changchun has become a place where owners of private enterprise or self-employed workers can give full play to their capabilities.

There is also the remarkable fact that in-migrants hold a higher number of managerial posts than the non-migrant population. This is because the reforms in Changchun's political structure have enhanced the requirements for people with higher educational backgrounds. In particular, university students who came from other areas continue to stay even after graduation and to take managerial posts in Changchun. On the other hand, Table 5 shows that the percentages of the people holding managerial posts and the owners of private enterprises who want to out-migrate from Changchun are 8.5% and 17.2%, respectively. It should be noted that these figures are comparatively high. (See Table 5.)

Table 5: Changchun Citizens' Intention of Migration, and their
Occupational Classification

It can be said that with the relaxation of the government's policy of population migration, people now have more opportunities to seek jobs suitable to their individual qualifications and to receive a higher education at places they like, while self-employed merchants can move around among several cities.

4. Marital characteristics among in-migrants to Changchun
According to traditional views, the ratio of migration of unmarried people was higher than that of married people. This means that migration opportunities can be expanded by changes in marital status. Through an analysis of the marital status of people who in-migrated into Changchun, we have discovered the differences between the traditional views and the views of in-migrants into Changchun. These differences reflect the characteristics of the traditional form of marriages and families, and the policy of population migration and urbanization in our country as well. (See Table 6.)

Table 6: Marital Status of In-migrants to Changchun

From Table 6 we can see that, within the migrant population, the proportion of married people who live with their spouses is much higher than that of unmarried people or people of other marital status. The result of these statistics notes an apparent difference from the traditional view that unmarried people can easily select opportunities for migration. It is very difficult to shed light on the reasons behind this. However, some other research reports that, from the year of the founding of the "new China" to the 1960s, the government had not yet put strict restraints or control on the migration to the big cities, and many families moved with their family members into urban areas to seek employment. In the latter half of the 1950s, to avoid the problems that married people who migrated for job assignments with their family members left behind in their hometowns, a high ratio of migration of the married population occurred. In cities with an advanced background in science, technology and culture like Changchun, in particular, this phenomenon proved to be quite remarkable.

However, with the further expansion of economic reforms, the migration situation of unmarried people will undoubtedly change to a great extent. According to survey data, since the 1980s, the number of people migrating into urban areas has sharply increased, and the migrant population during 1979-1988 was nearly equal to the total migrant population after the founding of the new China. By looking at the characteristics of the population migration in the survey of Jilin Province, it can be concluded that the province was an area where population migration was historically active, and that this situation remained until the beginning of the reform of the economic structure. There are two main reasons for migration in great numbers into Jilin Province at that time. Firstly, Jilin Province had a low population density, rich natural resources and uncultivated land. Secondly, Jilin was designated an industrialization region under the gov- ernment's industrial policies. Therefore, migration into Jilin Province at that time was the spontaneous migration of farmers, and also mass migration by government orders (for example, mass relocation of scientific institutions and large industrial zones [by Fan Li-Da, 1995]). The above-mentioned scenario was the situation of the population migration before reforms and the door-opening policy of the country, and the majority of migrants were composed of married people. This fact coincides with the results of the data from a nationwide survey on migration. However, the situation has changed quite drastically since 1978. As far as nationwide migrant population is concerned, the number of unmarried people has exceeded that of married people. (See Table 7.)

Table 7: Age Composition of Unmarried In-migrants

On the other hand, data on the unmarried migrant population taken from the survey on Changchun's population migration show that unmarried in-migrants to Changchun are not proportionate to the nationwide unmarried migrant population. The in-migrants to Changchun are comparatively younger in age, and have a comparatively wider scope of choices for occupations. In particular, along with the progress of reforms and door-opening, a portion of the unmarried in-migrants have out-migrated to the economically developed provinces, cities, and coastal and border cities. We have also noticed from Table 6 that, of the in-migrant population, bereaved persons occupied only 1.4%, while the ratio of divorced persons was 11%. The ratio of the bereaved migrant population basically coincides with the figures in the nationwide survey on population migration. However, the 11 % migration ratio of divorced persons is apparently higher than the ratio of divorced persons in the nationwide migrant population (which is 0.1 - 0.4%). Viewed from another angle, the divorced population in Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province, is relatively large in number. This fact points out that all measures cannot be taken in the same manner when the governmental organizations study the differences in population migration among various regions, or when the government formulates new policies.

5. Characteristics of awareness of child-bearing by in-migrants to Changchun
Table 8 shows the in-migrants' awareness of child-bearing and the number of years after their in-migration. It can be said that the Communist Party's policy on family planning has already reached people around the nation and formed their awareness of migrant population, thus facilitating the implementation and promotion of family planning activities in China. Those who responded that they were in favor of a family planning policy occupied 95.9% of the total, and those who responded that "there is no other alternative" shared only 4.1 %.

Table 8: Characteristic of In-migrants' Awareness of Child-bearing

Chapter IV: Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Population Migration

China occupies a vast land area and holds a large population. The natural environment, the levels of social and economic development and the distribution of the population vary and differ to a great extent, which consequently has generated the population migration on a large scale among regions. At the same time, such migration has inevitably brought about varied reactions to the development in the region. As a result, the development of socioeconomic conditions and local communities are promoted or restrained according to the level of each region or district. Changchun city is located in eastern China, and is an area with a comparatively advanced economy and a higher-level of education. In recent years, Changchun has seen further progress in social and economic development. In 1992, Changchun's industrial output was recorded at RMB27,700 million (gross). The number of enterprises reached 1,921, up 113 firms from 1,808 in 1985. The Changchun No. 1 Automobile Plant, Changchun Passenger Train Plant under the Ministry of Railway, and Changchun Locomotive Plant under the Ministry of Railway were all first-stage key projects of the state, which exerted great influence throughout the country. In addition, social and economic indexes in the city, such as economic efficiency, and the living and cultural standards have considerably risen in comparison with the days before the start of reforms and the door-opening policy.

1. Impact of educational level on population migration
For the survey this time, we did not prepare a variable of the educational level. By comparing the educational levels of the population aged six and older between the in-migrants in Jilin Province and the province's total population, we undertook an analysis on the influence the in-migrants' educational level has had on their migration and child- bearing conditions. First, we analyzed the data of component comparisons of educational levels between the in-migrants in the Province and the Province's total population during 1985-1992.

Chart 1 : Component Comparison of Educational Levels between In-migrants in
Jilin Province and Province's Total Population during 1985-1990

Chart 1 shows a comparison of the educational level of the population aged six and older between the in-migrant population and Jilin Province's total population. In this comparison, the distributions of composition between out-migrants and in-migrants are close. In the comparison of in-migrants and out-migrants, only the population ratio of university-level education is lower than that of out-migrants. The composition of the educational level of in-migrants and out-migrants shows a significant difference from the composition of the educational level of the Province's total population. From this chart, we also understand that the migrants' population ratio of illiteracy and primary-school education level is lower than that of the total population. On the contrary, the migrants' population ratio of higher education, especially university-level education, is remarkably higher than that of the total population. It can be argued that the population composition of the educational level of migrants in Changchun city has had much influence on the educational level of migrants in Jilin Province.

Generally speaking, the higher the educational level of in-migrants, the wider the range of occupational choices they have. On the contrary, the lower their educational level, the narrower the range of occupational choices becomes. In case of city areas, the in-migrants' educational level has had an impact on the development of the city in which the in-migrants dwell.

2. Impact of in-migrants' educational level on birth rate
Many past studies have proved that the progress of socioeconomic development is one of important factors in lowering the birth rate. In any country, or any region, if the educational level of females at child-bearing age becomes high, the birth rate of the females at child-bearing age in such a country or region will drop. Usually, the heightening of the population's educational level restrains population growth. In particular, the heightening of the educational level of the migrant female populations has a direct impact on birth rate.

This survey did not study the educational level of females at child-bearing age or the state of child-bearing of non-migrant females. Therefore, we utilized the data from the Migration Survey on 74 Cities in China. As the data from the Migration Survey basically coincides with the data collected in this survey, it can be understood that they are consistent to a certain extent. (See Chart 2.)

Chart 2: Average Number of Births of Migrant Females and
Non-migrant Females by Educational Level

From Chart 2, we understand that the number of births gradually decreases as the migrants' educational level rises. It goes without saying that, regardless of migrant or non-migrant females, orderly changes appear in the average number of births according to educational levels. Females of child-bearing age with a comparatively high educational level possess an intellectual capability superior to that of females with a low educational level. From another point of view, females with a higher educational level have higher chances of making occupational choices, including better conditions and wider possibilities of participating in social activities. With the enhancement of the educational level, the females' social and economic status will undoubtedly become higher, and they will put more energies into studies and work. Lastly, if migrant females of child-bearing age have moved into a new living environment, they need time to accustom themselves to their new surroundings and new work. Thus, they postpone the time of giving birth to a child.

As shown in Tables 9 and 10, females who have migrated into the city areas have changed their awareness of child-bearing to a great extent. Tables 9 and 10 also show that, regardless of the ages of females of child-bearing age and the length of their married life, more than 97% of migrant females of child-bearing age are in favor of the Communist Party's family planning policy. It seems to be a good start for China. (See Tables 9 and10.)

Table 9: Years of Married Life and Awareness of Child-bearing
among In-migrant Females in Changchun

Table 10: Ages and awareness of child-bearing of in-migrant
females in Changchun

We have reported our statistics and analyses on the in-migrant population in Changchun, including ages, occupations and educational levels, through a small-scale sampling survey on the in-migrant population in Changchun city. Based on the said analyses, we reach the following conclusions:

1. The age composition of Changchun's in-migrant population is mainly divided among the middle and young age groups. This coincides with the results of other research on population migration.
   
2. The ratio of in-migrant population engaged in higher-level occupation among the in-migrant population is larger than that of the total population.
   
3. A considerable part of the population that has migrated into Changchun has the desire to out-migrate into other cities.
   
4. Migrant females in Changchun of child-bearing age have changed their awareness of child-bearing to a great extent, and they generally do not want to give birth to a second child.

The above conclusions coincide with the results of recent research conducted on Jilin Province's migrant population and on China's migrant population. (Fan Li-Da 1995, and Liao Zheng-Guang 1973)

The characteristics of population migration that contribute to the economic development of the migration area lie in the mass migration of population. In particular, the in-migration of a population with high intellectual capabilities will be conducive to the economic development of Changchun city. The results of the surveys (1% Population Sampling Survey in 1987 and Population Census 1990) on the recent population migration in China have clarified that the recent population migration in China will continue to grow, due to the government's easing of restrictions on population migration and to the rapid economic development following the economic structural reforms. As such, Changchun city will continue to see a great inflow of population for several years to come, and these in-migrants will play an increasingly important role in the socioeconomic development of Changchun city.

Main references :

1. The Impact of Inter-provincial Population Migration on the Economic Development of Jilin Province, by Fan Li-Da, pp. 13-15, Issue No. 3, 1995, "Population Journal."
   
2. The Population Relocation of China's Cities and Towns, 1994, Ma Xia chief editor, pp. 120-135, published by China Population Publishing House.
   
3. Population Movement by Liao Zheng-Guang, 1973, pp. 128-130, published by Sanmin Shuju Publishing House.

Wang Sheng Jin
Fan Li Da
Long Shi Xiang