Report reveals new face of migrant workforce

A total of 80 percent of a new generation of young migrant workers, who were once expected to till the land for a living, have no farming skills, according to a recent report on work conditions in East China's Anhui province.

The report, co-published by more than 10 deputies of the Hefei National People's Congress, also revealed that while many leave the countryside, they find it difficult to settle into an urban lifestyle.

The young generation of migrant workers, which refers to rural youngsters who were born after 1980 and lead a non-agricultural work life in the city, accounted for more than 100 million in 2009, 61.7 percent of the total number of migrant workers and nearly half of the country's entire work force.

The report cited having no experience of suffering severe weather or starvation, made the new generation far less diligent than the previous.

The figures speak for themselves. Some 80 percent have no farming skills, 38 percent have never done any farm work and more than 90 percent choose to stay in cities. Some 57 percent do so permanently.

Pan, a young migrant worker from Anhui province has lived in Beijing for eight years. He sells computer parts in an electronics market, "Friends of mine with a similar age have all left home and made money in cities. I cannot find anyone who has common language in my village."

Another reason he chose to stay in Beijing is to save face. Pan added, "People in my village know each other well. They will compare who leads a more honorable life outside in the cities. If I went back to do farm work, it means a failure, and I will feel despised."

But many of the young generation find it hard to integrate into urban life.

Li Zhongwang, one of many young migrant workers at a logistic company said, "I lead a better life compared with when I first came to Beijing in 2003, but I always feel lonely and depressed."

More than 60 percent of the young generation of migrant workers lack a sense of belonging in the cities where they earn their money, said Zhao Changbao, vice-director of the Research Center for Rural Economy.

Compared with their urban counterparts who lead a fashionable and carefree life, young migrant workers usually live a poor life.

The report said 36.5 percent feel despised, 37.2 hopeless and 9.7 percent have attempted some form of revenge against society.