Migration Influx in Cities in China: An Analysis for Resolving the Spatial Mismatch of Labour and Unbalanced Urban Scale

This project aims to build an analytical framework for formulating rules for the mobility of people under China’s Hukou (Household Registration) system to generate an efficient path of development. The uneven provision of an urban public service and employment opportunities in China cause an enormous diversity of labour mobility in cities. This spatial heterogeneity of population migration affects the equilibrium of the urban scale system. Using the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) data of 275 cities from 2011 to 2017, this research will develop a model for optimal migration and resource allocation in cities by incorporating the product, factor and housing markets in a comprehensive framework. The findings will enable a better understanding of how to reform China's Hukou system to promote balanced development of the urban system.