Migrant Labor in China

Long known as the world s factory, China is the largest manufacturing economy ever seen, accounting for more than 10% of global exports. China is also, of course, home to the largest workforce on the planet, the crucial element behind its staggering economic success. But who are China s workers who keep the machine running, and how is the labour process changing under economic reform? Pun Ngai, a leading expert in factory labour in China, charts the rise of China as a world workshop and the emergence of a new labour force in the context of the post-socialist transformations of the last three decades. The book analyses the role of the state and transnational interests in creating a new migrant workforce deprived of many rights and social protection. As China increases its output of high-value, high-tech products, particularly for its own growing domestic market of middle-class consumers, workers are increasingly voicing their discontent through strikes and protest, creating new challenges for the Party-State and the global division of labour. Blending theory, politics and real-world examples, this book will be an invaluable guide for upper-level students and non-specialists interested in Chinese society, politics and economy.