THE IMPACT OF RURAL LABOUR MIGRATION ON FARM INCOME: THE CHINESE EXPERIENCE AND A CONCEPT FOR THE EU AND UKRAINE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35774/jee2025.03.438Keywords:
agricultural households; farmers’ income; labour migration in the EU; rural labour migration; social capital; social protection; social welfare; two-way fixed effects.Abstract
This study analyses how rural labour migration (RLM) affects household income in rural areas, combining theoretical approaches and empirical data. Using an unbalanced panel sample from several periods based on data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), the authors apply the propensity score matching (PSM) method and a fixed effects model to assess the impact of RLM on farmers’ incomes. The results show a significant positive effect, achieved mainly through the strengthening of family social capital and access to the social security system. Heterogeneous analysis indicates that the effect is more pronounced in western China and among low-income households. The paper also conceptualises the applicability of China’s experience to the European Union and Ukraine, given similar demographic challenges, dependence on the agricultural sector and depopulation processes. The results are of practical importance for the formulation of rural economy development and migration management policies, especially in the context of post-pandemic and post-war recovery.
JEL: D12, R23, J61.
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Received: July 22, 2025.
Reviewed: August 14, 2025.
Accepted: September 22, 2025.
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