Early studies on women migrant workers in China focused largely on the dagongmei, or single young women, and the general poverty of their employment conditions. Recent trends, however, indicate that the number of married women migrant workers, or dagongsao, is increasing. But the paid work experiences of married women migrant workers are largely under-researched. In order to address this gap, we analyse data from the 2014 Guangdong Migrant Workers Survey (GMWS 2014) and focus on workers employed in the formal sector. In comparing the employment conditions of single and married women migrant workers, the findings reveal that the working conditions of married women migrant workers are worse, particularly with respect to pay, social security benefits and the workplace environment. This research makes a significant contribution to the literature on migrant workers in China, and offers a different perspective to the traditional stereotype of women migrant workers. © 2018 Australian HR Institute

China discrimination dagongmei (single women migrant workers) dagongsao (married women migrant workers) employment inequality

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