Explaining migrants’ economic vulnerability in urban China: Institutional discrimination and market imperatives

While the existing literature has explained labour market discrimination against domestic Chinese migrants predominantly by reference to inequality in the hukou (household registration) system, less attention has been paid to market imperatives. However, following economic reforms, market forces now play an increasingly important role in individuals' work prospects. Drawing on data from fieldwork in Shanghai in 2005 and 2006, this article extends the literature by exploring employers' perceptions of migrants, migrants' circumstances and the links to market discrimination. Thus, the study enhances our understanding of migrants' vulnerable status in a transitional economy, with its complexities of institutional legacies and new market forces.