1. Introduction
Stable employment is not only one of the macro-control objectives of the global economy (full employment) but also an important way to effectively remove vulnerable groups from poverty.
Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) formally introduced the concept of sustainable development to the international community in 1978, countries have been exploring and practicing it, and a consensus was reached at the UNCED in 1992 and the UN Conference on Population and Development in 1994, both putting special emphasis on “people at the center of sustainable development” and a “People-oriented concept of sustainable development” [
1]. In 2003, China also proposed the scientific concept of development, the core of which is “people-centered” and “comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development” [
2]. The relocation of the poor from 2001 to 2020 is a typical example of “people-centered sustainable development” [
3]. On the one hand, the relocation of poor people who are not suitable for survival and development are relocated to areas with good development conditions to offer them the basis for sustainable development, and on the other hand, poor people are helped by various social sectors to obtain a guarantee of sustainable development. At the same time, the influx of these immigrants has not only increased the urban population and urbanization rate but also increased the labor force for the development of the city, made up for the shortage of labor force, and laid a good foundation for the sustainable development of the city. In this paper, we call the migrants who relocate to urban communities for poverty alleviation “labor migrants”.
Academic circles roughly classify “labor migrants” into three categories: The first category is the skilled international migrants, including domestic and cross-border skilled labor migrants. The second category generally refers to migration from rural communities to cities in China. These groups seek jobs and increase their income in the community; the first two categories refer to the economic immigration behaviors of labor migrants themselves, according to marketization trends and their own preferences. The third category refers specifically to the Chinese-style labor migration studied in this paper.
Chinese-style labor migration means that, in order to effectively solve the problem of absolute poverty in the region, we must set up relevant government departments, through administrative means, under the premise of providing certain employment security, housing security, social security, etc. The population is relocated in a planned and step-by-step manner to urban communities with good regional environments and more development opportunities, which are formed by rapid poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
During the period from 2016 to 2020, to solve the problem of contiguous absolute poverty in the region, the Chinese government invested CNY 600 billion, relocated nearly 10 million absolutely poor people, and built about 35,000 centralized resettlement areas, including more than 5000 urban resettlement areas, thus resettling more than 5 million people.
Ningxia is one of the provinces and regions that has taken the lead in implementing a labor immigration model based on job placement in China since 2011. Through continuous efforts, labor immigrants have not only escaped absolute poverty but also improved their income levels, housing conditions, and mental outlook. This represents a great improvement. However, due to the impact of the macroeconomic situation and personal factors, the employment problem of migrant workers is becoming a severe challenge, giving rise to difficult and unstable employment. Whether we can achieve stable employment and improve employment stability has become the key to the sustainable development of labor-immigrant individuals, labor-immigrant communities, and labor-immigrant models.
Relatively speaking, the Chinese-style labor migrants studied in this paper are a disadvantaged group with generally low cultural quality, relatively low labor skills (mainly primary industry and manual labor), relatively low sustainable development abilities, and weak (in absolute poverty) and relatively weak social adaptability. In the process of relocation, it is necessary to increase support and care, especially in the context of one of the most important factors affecting sustainable development—employment stability. Only by achieving full and stable employment and effectively increasing income can we achieve sustainable development.
This study focuses on the impact mechanism of labor migrants’ employment stability. The key question to be addressed is how labor migrants can be taken from relatively closed and underdeveloped rural communities into relatively open and developed urban communities and how they can achieve stable employment and effectively increase their income. The employment stability of labor migrants is a very complex systematic issue, which not only involves the evaluation of labor migrants’ satisfaction with relocation, including policy support satisfaction, community development satisfaction, and development environment satisfaction, etc. but also involves labor migrants’ self-esteem. The adaptability to urban life, including economic adaptability, cultural adaptability, etc., also involves labor migrants’ evaluation of their own subjective human capital, including work attitude and professionalism.
Based on the relevant theories and previous research results, this paper attempts to put forward relevant research hypotheses and frameworks on the impact mechanism of Chinese-style labor migration on employment stability. We collect data by means of a questionnaire survey and test various research hypotheses, so as to explore the specific paths by which variables such as relocation satisfaction, relocation adaptability, and subjective human capital affect the employment stability of labor migrants, as well as the relationship between the effects of each path.
This paper hopes to solve the following problems in the employment stability of labor immigrants through the construction of structural equation models: (1) to analyze the variables and their paths that affect the employment stability of labor immigrants; (2) to construct a theoretical model of the mechanism of employment stability of labor immigrants.
5. Conclusions and Discussion
5.1. Conclusions
The investigation of factors affecting employment stability helps to achieve effective communication between labor migrants and the government, thus helping to solve the problems with the employment stability of labor migrants. From August to September 2020, this study conducted a household questionnaire survey on three labor immigration bases in Yinchuan City and obtained 360 valid questionnaires. The structural equation model constructed in this study includes policy support satisfaction (PS), community development satisfaction (CS), development environment satisfaction (DS), economic adaptability (EA), cultural adaptability (CA), engagement status (HP) and employment stability (ES), with seven latent variables and 23 observed variables. Cronbach for all potential variables α All values were >0.7, indicating that the scale had high reliability, and the results of EFA and CFA also showed good effectiveness. The path coefficient analysis between potential variables shows that all assumptions are supported. The effects between latent variables show that subjective human capital (HP), relocation satisfaction (RS), economic adaptability (EA), and cultural adaptability (CA) all have a direct impact on employment stability (ES).
In addition, the three main findings of this study are as follows:
- (1)
Relocation adaptability (RA) is the key to improving the employment stability (ES) of labor migrants.
Although both economic adaptability (EA) and cultural adaptability (CA) have very significant effects on the employment stability of labor migrants, they are diametrically opposed. Economic adaptability (EA) has the most positive impact, while cultural adaptation (CA) has the most negative impact. Only by continuously improving “employment mode adaptability” can labor, migrants, obtain more employment opportunities and then obtain a stable source of income and adapt to local consumption patterns, which is the material basis for improving their employment stability (ES). At the same time, only by continuously improving their “adaptability to the language environment” can labor, immigrants, gain more opportunities for social interaction, promote harmonious relations with locals, and enhance their ability to survive and develop. This is the cultural basis for improving the employment stability (ES) of labor immigrants;
- (2)
Relocation satisfaction (RS) is the means to improve the employment stability (ES) of labor migrants.
Policies are the means countries around the world usually use to solve specific problems, and they often play a very important role in the employment stability of labor migrants. The policy support satisfaction (PS) path coefficient is as high as 0.848; the development environment satisfaction (DS) is as high as 0.803, and the community development satisfaction (CS) also reaches 0.781. On the one hand, this shows their importance to employment stability; on the other hand, they are also the result of policy support. Only through policies can we effectively solve various issues involving the vital interests of labor migrants, including pensions for the elderly (pension policy PS1), medical insurance for the unhealthy (medical insurance policy PS4), and minimum living guarantees for vulnerable groups (subsistence allowances policy PS2), etc. Further, we can effectively create or improve the environments required for the sustainable development of labor immigrant communities, including a medical environment that can ensure people’s physical and mental health (DS1), a fresh and clean environment (DS3), and an educational environment that can meet people’s expectations for the future (DS2). At the same time, the same is true for community development (CS)—only by constantly improving policies and strengthening policy support can we continue to maintain harmony between cadres and the masses and thus improve the level of social security and community management for labor migrants.
- (3)
Individual engagement status (HP) is the basis for improving the employment stability of labor migrants.
In the system of factors affecting employment stability, labor migrants are always in an active position, given their awareness of the importance and urgency of employment issues and their emphasis on work initiatives, planning, and enthusiasm. Only by actively increasing employment can we obtain stable incomes and increase family income; only by actively working and completing various tasks can we achieve self-worth, gain more income, and increase the sense of gain. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the guidance offered to the subjective human capital of labor immigrants, especially to enhance their “self-confidence”, “initiative”, and “enthusiasm” in their work, thereby enhancing the “stability” of labor immigrants.
As the conclusion shows, there are many stakeholders and influencing factors involved in employment stability. This study conducted a special survey on the typical labor migration base in Yinchuan City by means of questionnaires. In order to reduce problem projects and promote data collection, simple multidimensional processing is carried out. In addition, these conclusions also have certain limitations. More relevant research should be carried out in the future. The first step is to compare and analyze the factors of employment stability of labor migrants in different regions; the second is to consider the changes and influencing factors affecting the employment stability of labor migrants in different periods. Further, develop employment stability research methods based on big applied data to produce more objective results.
5.2. Discussion
Chinese-style labor migration is the organized and planned relocation of poor people from areas with extremely fragile ecological environments and extremely poor living conditions to areas with relatively better development conditions via the support and guarantee of policies in an attempt to achieve an effective solution to the problem of poverty. Attempting to design an immigration policy that will reduce poverty and increase wealth is typical government behavior. Therefore, the policy has played an important role, which is embodied in various aspects. It plays an important role in the development of the communities where labor migrants are located, the development environments of the areas where labor migrants plan to work, and the development of labor migrants themselves and their families.
This shows that “relocation satisfaction” is the primary factor affecting the employment stability of labor migrants. That is to say, “relocation satisfaction” is the basis of “employment stability”, which is in line with China’s traditional concept of “living in peace” and “working happily”. The influence coefficients of policy support satisfaction (PS) and community development satisfaction (CS) on relocation satisfaction (RS) are very large, both reaching over 0.8. The environment that needs to be improved the most is the medical environment, which affects people’s physical and mental health, and the policies that need to be improved the most are pension policies, medical insurance policies, and subsistence allowance policies, which affect everyone’s vital interests. We must improve the level of social security and community management for labor migrants.
However, the results of the study were somewhat unexpected. The effects of the two aspects of relocation adaptability (RA) on employment stability showed diametrically opposite results. On the one hand, economic adaptability (EA) showed the highest path coefficient of 0.576, followed by employment stability (ES), which was 0.051 higher than relocation satisfaction (RS) and higher than subjective human capital (HP) at 0.461. This shows that it is not enough to only address the “settlement” of labor immigrants, and the economic adaptability (EA) of labor immigrants must be improved; on the other hand, cultural adaptability (CA) affects the employment stability (ES) of labor immigrants. It ranks in the middle, and its path coefficient is −0.260, which implies a negative correlation. This shows that labor migrants already have strong cultural adaptability (CA), integrate into the local society, have extensive interpersonal relationships, and have more opportunities to find jobs. Driven by the motivation to “make money freely”, they are often in a state of “unstable employment”, which seriously restricts their ability to improve their employment stability (ES). Therefore, we must urgently consider how to take advantage of the strong cultural adaptability (CA) of labor migrants to improve their employment stability.
Both aspects of relocation adaptability (RA) are very important. On the one hand, economic adaptability (EA) operates at the material level, and material factors determine consciousness; that is, it is necessary to effectively solve the problem of employment mode adaptation to ensure relatively stable sources of income and then ensure the adaptation of the consumption mode. On the other hand, cultural adaptability (CA) functions at the spiritual level, and consciousness has an adverse effect on the material; that is, we must effectively enhance adaptability to the language environment in order to continuously improve social interaction ability, thereby promoting harmonious coexistence and common development with local people. Therefore, relocation adaptability (RA) is the key to improving employment stability (ES).
Comparatively speaking, the influence of subjective human capital–engagement status (HP) on employment stability (ES) is small, and the path coefficient is only 0.115, but this does not mean that its status and role are not important. This is because, in real life, labor migrants lack some of the basic literacy required for employment in some cities, cutting off some jobs that can earn them a stable income, as well as access to longer working hours in a certain unit and higher income levels. Through hard work, one can attain a higher income, and the most important thing is the improvement of professional status. In improving the subjective human capital of labor migrants, the level of engagement (HP) is the basis for improving employment stability (ES).
The research on the employment stability of labor migrants in this topic is carried out according to the traditional Chinese concepts of “living and working in peace and contentment” and “survival of the fittest”. There are significant differences in different research results, such as those regarding whether to sign a labor contract, which is affected by the labor migrants’ own subjective evaluation of their relocation satisfaction, which affects their employment stability, relocation adaptability, and their own dedication.
The research results not only provide a new way of thinking in evaluating the employment stability of government labor migrants—that is, building an evaluation system of “satisfaction–adaptability–subjective human capital–employment stability”—but also offer ways for the government to improve the employment stability of labor migrants.
5.3. Implications
Policies and methods for solving problems are always developed and improved through practice. Whether from the perspective of labor migrants, relevant government departments, or third-party organizations, we can summarize existing experiences and lessons to deal with new situations and new problems more successfully in the future.
The research results show that improving the employment stability of labor migrants not only depends on the efforts of relevant government departments towards the sustainable development of labor migrants, the improvement of service levels, and levels of satisfaction, but it also depends on the efforts of labor migrants themselves. This manifests in two aspects. On the one hand, it is necessary to continuously improve one’s adaptability to relocation, including economic adaptability, cultural adaptability, and social adaptability, and enhance social integration, which will enhance work stability. The specific recommendations are as follows:
- (1)
Strengthen guidance and education to improve the social adaptability of labor migrants.
Through relocation, labor migrants have realized the transition from underdeveloped rural communities to developed urban communities, and they typically face the problem of “citizenization”—social adaptation. This requires, first, that relevant government departments increase education for labor migrants through lectures, exhibitions, visits, etc., to help them adapt to the various requirements of urban development as soon as possible, including understanding the characteristics of urban development, the relevant requirements for becoming a qualified citizen, etc. Second, labor migrants should adapt to the development requirements of citizenization as soon as possible according to their own characteristics, including realizing active employment according to the requirements of economic adaptability, effectively increasing income, and increasing income in accordance with the requirements of cultural adaptability. This will help to strengthen the communication with local people, expand the scope of communication, actively integrate them into the society, and achieve harmonious coexistence and harmonious development;
- (2)
Actively innovate and improve policies to improve the relocation satisfaction of labor migrants.
The policy is the core of labor migrants’ relocation and stable employment experience. This requires, first, a comprehensive review of existing policies, summarizing experiences and lessons, consolidating policies with clear effects, and improving policies that have good effects but whose potential has not yet been fully realized. Second, we must face the new development environment and its requirements and innovate new policies that are conducive to the development of labor immigration, including labor immigration entrepreneurship policies, employment support policies, etc. The awareness and application of policies should be actively improved and innovated to meet real needs and achieve sustainable development;
- (3)
Enhance self-confidence and consciousness and enhance the professionalism of labor migrants.
Whether we are considering objective human capital or subjective human capital, the labor immigrant group is relatively poor in these resources. Relatively speaking, it is more difficult to make a big improvement in objective human capital, while the improvement of subjective human capital can be more successful. Therefore, while the government continues to increase the training of employability, on the one hand, the government can enhance the self-confidence of labor migrants in stable employment by establishing advanced models and sharing successful cases. This will encourage them to actively participate in various skills training activities, achieve substantial improvements, take the initiative to achieve employment, show love and dedication to their work, and realize their self-worth. Doing so can not only help them to achieve stable employment and effectively increase their income but also make up for the lack of labor force in the enterprise, promote stable development, and help achieve symbiosis and common development;
- (4)
Increase care and support to improve the employment stability of vulnerable groups in labor migrants.
Labor migrants themselves are a vulnerable group, and women are even more vulnerable than men. In the actual research, women generally express the view of “do not want to work if they have a job”. This is not only detrimental to the realization of women’s self-worth but also detrimental to family development and social development. Therefore, on the one hand, the government can set up special employment instructors to provide women with special psychological counseling and employment guidance to speed up their employment. Developing the concept of going out of the family and into society to achieve self-employment can help workers to achieve economic independence, effectively increase family income, lay a more solid material foundation for the development of families, provide more labor resources for society, and accelerate urbanization and the sustainable development of labor immigration bases.
5.4. Limitations
This article offers only a preliminary discussion of the factors affecting the employment stability of labor migrants. Although some progress has been made, there are still some shortcomings and some limitations that need to be further explored.
The employment stability of labor migrants is a problem that arises in a specific socio-economic context, and the solution to this problem involves complex stakeholders and social environments. When the government issues corresponding policies to solve a certain problem, there are often many stakeholders to consider. Specifically, because the government, labor migrants, and third-party agencies play different roles in the process of problem formation and resolution, they often make different demands according to their own interests, which will directly affect labor services. The needs of all should be considered as much as possible when designing a questionnaire to obtain more inclusive results. At the same time, there is a lack of specific ways to evaluate labor migrant-employing companies, including in terms of professionalism, obedience to management, and compliance with regulations. In addition, due to the different levels of economic development in different regions, the abilities of the governments to provide solutions to ensure the employment stability of labor migrants also differ, which may directly affect the effective solution to the problem. Therefore, the results of this study have limited practical applicability in solving the current employment stability problem of labor migrants, and more exploration is needed in relation to the current background and future trends. All of these approaches can add more dimensions to the questionnaire design, making the survey more targeted and practical.