Limits to internal migration increase disparity and keep the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from reaping the full benefit of its trade and industry success.

The PRC’s internal registration system, known as “hukou,” calls for residents to be registered and identified in the places they live. Although the system has been somewhat relaxed over the last few decades, obtaining hukou in cities such as Beijing or Shanghai remains difficult for those who move there in search of work.

Workers who come to those cities without valid hukou are not eligible for some jobs or the full range of social services available to official residents.

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About the authors

Yuan Zi is an assistant professor at the University of Oslo in Norway.

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