Record Income for Migrant Workers

As the construction outside our apartment comes to a close, I am reminded of the workers who day in and day out live in tarp tents and works tirelessly on the buildings. A new report says it was a "good" year for these workers.

Annual income of Chinese farmers hits record high: media¹ (December 28, 2009, AFP)
The average annual income of Chinese farmers hit a record 5,000 yuan (732 dollars) this year as increased demand for migrant workers saw more money sent back to rural areas, state media reported Monday. The per capita net income of farmers rose more than six percent in 2009 from a year ago, Xinhua news agency said, citing a statement issued by the central government's annual conference on rural policies. The increase was partly driven by a recovery in demand for migrant workers, the report said, as factories and construction companies started hiring again in response to improved economic conditions.

I don't know how a worker and his family can survive on this amount of income. This article only highlights the growing gap between the rich and these migrant workers. Some salaried positions make as much as 10,000 RMB per month (that's more than twice the yearly income of these migrant workers). Please remember these workers as they continue to work to provide for their families.
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¹ ZGBriefs for December 31, 2009