Ten Departments Jointly Issue Opinions on Strengthening Service and Support for Migrant Workers, Interpretation by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security Released

Employment is the most fundamental aspect of people’s livelihood.
Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the People’s Bank of China, and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions jointly issued the “Opinions on Further Strengthening the Services and Guarantees for Migrant Workers” (hereinafter referred to as the “Opinions”).
The “Opinions” not only explicitly aim to stabilize and expand employment opportunities for migrant workers, but also adopt multiple measures to broaden their employment channels. At the same time, it emphasizes the need to uphold the labor and security rights of migrant workers, promote equal access to basic urban public services for migrant workers who have moved to cities, and further relax restrictions on urban residency registration.
The Paper learned from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security that the total number of migrant workers nationwide reached 297.5 million in 2023, an increase of 23.17 million compared to 2014. Migrant workers constitute the main force of China’s industrial workers and are an important driving force for promoting the country’s modernization.
Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security provided a detailed interpretation of the background and considerations behind the formulation of the “Opinions”.
Background of the “Opinions”
Entering a new stage of development, the work related to migrant workers faces new situations, tasks, and requirements. In particular, the growth rate of the total number of migrant workers has slowed down, and the trend of aging is evident. Structural contradictions in employment remain prominent, the overall quality of employment is not high, and there are still shortcomings in labor and security rights such as social security and wages. The quality of urbanization needs further improvement, and social integration urgently needs to be strengthened. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security pointed out that in order to further improve the services and guarantees for migrant workers, it has worked with 10 departments including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Education to formulate the “Opinions”.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security introduced that the “Opinions” focus on key aspects related to migrant workers, such as safeguarding and improving people’s livelihood and promoting urban-rural integration. Aiming at key and difficult issues such as employment and income increase, human resource development, employment assistance for older migrant workers, rural revitalization, safeguarding the rights and interests of new employment forms, expanding social security coverage, and providing basic public services in places of residence, the “Opinions” propose 14 tasks and measures in promoting stable employment for migrant workers, upholding labor and security rights, and strengthening the provision of public services.
Adhering to the equal importance of migrant work and local employment
What considerations does the “Opinions” have for stabilizing and expanding employment opportunities for migrant workers?
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security pointed out that to stabilize and expand employment opportunities for migrant workers, the “Opinions” propose adhering to the equal importance of migrant work and local employment, and adopting multiple measures to broaden their employment channels; optimizing policies on venues, finance, and taxation to support migrant workers in returning home to start businesses; conducting targeted vocational skills training and implementing relevant subsidy policies to enhance the skill level of migrant workers; and establishing a long-term mechanism for employment assistance to stabilize the employment of those who have been lifted out of poverty.
Establishing entrepreneurial parks to encourage migrant workers to return home and start businesses
What considerations does the “Opinions” have for supporting migrant workers in returning home to start businesses?
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security introduced that currently, nearly 13 million people have returned to their hometowns to start businesses, and the human resources and social security departments support over 2,200 entrepreneurial parks and bases for returning migrant workers. To further support migrant workers in returning home to start businesses, the “Opinions” propose establishing a number of entrepreneurial parks, strengthening the construction of carriers for returning and starting businesses; implementing various preferential policies such as entrepreneurial subsidies, interest subsidies for guaranteed loans, and tax reductions and exemptions, developing entrepreneurial insurance products, optimizing the supply of financial services, and effectively solving the funding problems faced by migrant workers who return home to start businesses; organizing activities such as entrepreneurial competitions for migrant workers to cultivate more innovative and entrepreneurial talents.
Promoting the urbanization of migrant workers and optimizing the scoring criteria for residency registration based on points
What considerations does the “Opinions” have for promoting the urbanization of migrant workers?
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security stated that to promote equal access to basic urban public services for migrant workers who have moved to cities and facilitate their urbanization, the “Opinions” propose optimizing the scoring criteria for residency registration based on points, conducting training for new urban residents, and encouraging migrant workers who are willing to do so to settle in cities and towns; optimizing the allocation of regional educational resources and expanding the supply of public school places; gradually incorporating migrant workers who have stable employment and lives into the scope of urban housing security policies; and promoting the integration of basic urban and rural public services and implementing actions to improve the quality of urbanization for migrant workers in counties.
The Paper learned from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security that in 2023, 97% of cities with a population of less than 3 million have completely lifted residency restrictions, and the proportion of migrant workers’ children who attend public schools or enjoy government-purchased school places has reached 96.7%. Over 5 million migrant workers with stable employment in cities and towns have benefited from public rental housing security.
Establishing a long-term mechanism for ensuring the wages of migrant workers
What considerations does the “Opinions” have for upholding the labor rights of migrant workers?
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security introduced that to uphold the labor and security rights of migrant workers, the “Opinions” propose urging enterprises to comply with systems such as labor contracts and the protection of the rights and interests of workers in new employment forms, and regulating enterprise employment management; improving the long-term mechanism for eradicating wage arrears, strengthening the construction of rapid arbitration tribunals for wage disputes of migrant workers and “green channels” for legal aid for migrant workers; establishing a social security system for migrant workers, flexible employees, and workers in new employment forms, and promoting the participation of migrant workers in social insurance such as pensions, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, and work-related injury insurance.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security also mentioned that although there are still shortcomings in the protection of migrant workers’ rights and interests, such as irregular employment practices in some enterprises and a generally low proportion of migrant workers participating in social insurance for employees, the “Opinions” will establish a long-term mechanism for ensuring the payment of wages to migrant workers, expand the coverage of social insurance for urban employees, formulate guiding opinions for upholding the labor and security rights of workers in new employment forms, and carry out pilot projects for occupational injury insurance for workers in new industries.