Young generation of rural migrant workers settles in cities

As the country pushes urbanization even further, a new generation of rural migrant workers is living and thriving in the city.

In the 1980s, farmers began leaving their homes to find better paying jobs. As the country pushes urbanization even further, a new generation of rural migrant workers is living and thriving in the city.

Each morning at 8:30, Xie Yuhong and Jiao Songhe, go to a factory together start work. They are just two of the millions of migrant workers who have come from the countryside to the city to chase higher wages.

The couple works for Sichuan Sunfor Light, which uses rare metals to produce LED lights. More than 80 percent of its employees are rural migrant workers in their 20s and 30s. Jiao, a technician, said that he is better off than he could be in his hometown.

"There are not many opportunities in the countryside. Our family's land has turned into a forest, we have no land to use. Work in the city offers stable income," Jiao said.

According to Xinhua news agency, 60 percent of China's new generation of rural migrant workers lack what was once basic knowledge about agricultural production. Experts say that China's urbanization rate will reach 70 percent, which means millions more young people will be employed in the city, and grow further out of touch with their rural backgrounds.

"These young migrant workers are not migrant workers in the traditional sense. Since 2009, we have started to train these migrant workers to be industrial workers, this is our company's strategy, and also a return to society," Sichuan Sunfor Light President Zhang Li said.

According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, the average wage for a migrant worker in 2014 is 2,600 yuan a month, an increase of almost 280 percent from a decade ago.

Jiao and Xie have adapted well to city life. Though they don't have much, they are able to make monthly payments on their mortgage and are working hard to build a brighter future together.

"We have discussed our future plans: We want to start a business selling vegetables, or open a clothes shop," Jiao said.

"We have been married for two years. We will wait for another two years to have a baby. And then when we have a better financial situation, we'll invite our parents to live with us. They are old, and the city has better living conditions," Xie said.

Many young migrant workers have big hopes for their future in the city, and the government seems ready to help.

Premier Li Keqiang said in his government work report in March: "The government will increase support for a new type of urbanization in the central and western regions. We will help their industries develop and attract people and encourage rural migrant workers in the two regions to find employment in local cities and towns."

Many young people like Xie Yuhong and Jiao Songhe know that, as migrant workers, their lives will be different from their parents', and their dreams are certainly bigger.