Multiple Vulnerabilities: Migrant-local Disparities in China’s Urban Labour Market during the Zero-COVID Era

This chapter explores the resilience of China’s urban labour market in the pandemic and the disparities between migrant and local workers within it. The pandemic’s economic impact was felt widely by China’s urban workforce, primarily as minor income declines, and mainly within the initial few months. Migrants suffered more job losses than local workers, as those who returned home during the Spring Festival were prevented from resuming work by interregional travel restrictions. Income losses were more prevalent among migrants, as their access to the least affected sector was restricted by the household registration system. Migrants were more likely to remain in the urban labour market after job losses, driven by their lack of access to public funds in destinations. These results highlight the multiple economic vulnerabilities of migrants in urban China and the importance of considering both the temporalities of migration behaviours and the institutional exclusions in addressing their vulnerabilities.