Determinants of migration intentions in Hubei province, China: individual versus family migration

The author examines the determinants of migration intentions in Hubei province in central China. The analysis suggests that temporary migrants are more likely to migrate than are comparable permanent migrants or nonmigrants. The results also indicate that males are more likely to migrate as individuals than are females. Although age has a great deterrent impact on family migration, being married shows a much greater negative effect on planning an individual migration. Also, family network proves to be more important for determining individual migration than family migration. The results lend support to the notion that temporary migrants in cities do consider themselves as temporary residents and are therefore more likely to migrate again in the near future. They also confirm the argument that different factors play significant roles in individual versus family migration, and highlight the importance in distinguishing the two in empirical studies in developing countries.