Provincial migration dynamics in China: Borders, costs and economic motivations

The present article investigates the workers' motion law in China using internal migration data for 29 provinces over two sub-periods 1985–1990 and 1990–1995. We analyze the magnitude of impediments to Chinese workers mobility and the impact of its evolution on labor migration dynamics. We find that migration restrictions decline over time. This evolution is associated with a greater responsiveness of mobility decisions to economic factors, underlining the reinforcement of labor market efficiency.