Average monthly income of migrant workers reaches 1,690 yuan

The total number of migrant workers in China reached more than 242.2 million in 2010, and the average monthly income of migrant workers reached 1,690 yuan, which is 273 yuan higher than in 2009 or an increase of more than 19 percent, according to a conference regarding the national migrant worker situation on March 22.

The income of migrant workers has significantly increased in recent years and has become the main means by which farmers increase their incomes. From 2005 to 2010, the average monthly wage of migrant workers in China increased from 875 yuan to 1,690 yuan, an average annual increase of more than 14 percent. This showed a trend of accelerated growth.

The income of migrant workers has gradually become the main source of income for rural residents and now accounts for more than 50 percent. The sustained growth of migrant workers' wage incomes strongly promoted the development of the rural economy, accelerated the establishment of small towns and strengthened the county economy.

It has also become an important way to resolve issues of agriculture, and narrowing the urban-rural income distribution gap.

By Li Yancheng, People's Daily Online

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