Chinese Rural Migrant Workers
The average age of migrant workers is rising. In 2022, it reached 42.3 years old, according to the "2022 Migrant Worker Monitoring and Survey Report." Among the industries employing migrant workers, construction employed 52.325 million people. After age 45, most workers can no longer find regular jobs and are forced into gig work. In cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou, gig income averages about 4,000–6,000 RMB per month, but many only work 10–20 days before there's no more work available. In reality, this translates to a monthly income of just 1,500–4,000 RMB. Rent costs around 500–1,200 RMB per month, which many accept because their local incomes wouldn't cover that either.
Looking at Henan, a major province for migrant labor, the monthly pension for these workers is just 105 RMB, while resident social insurance costs 380 RMB per year. For a family of six or seven, that's about 2,000 RMB in annual expenses. Many families choose to stop paying altogether due to the burden.
As the economy slows and factories relocate overseas, the gig market is shrinking, making the future outlook bleak.