| The quantity of labor forces of rural household is determined according to a short working-age;the agriculture and the service industry are considered as the main employment fields of labor forces from rural household;labor forces of rural households are allocated to maximize the incomes.These practices do not conform to the economic and social development situation including rural areas,and also fall behind the action of labor resource allocation of rural households.If the study on labor force allocation efficiency of rural household is still conducted on this basis,no reliable results will be gained.In view of this,this paper is written to research the labor resource allocation efficiency of rural household based on an expanded working-age of labor resources from the aspects of agriculture,service industry and household,to better explain the behavior of labor resource allocation of rural households,provide a reference for the central(or local)governments making employment policy specific to rural labor forces,and guide peasants to scientifically allocate labor forces,increase income,and improve family welfare.This research will be of great theoretical and practical significance.For purpose of this paper,theoretical exploration was combined with empirical analysis to research the efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households based on the theories of rural household economic behavior,allocation of labor resources,and efficiency of labor resource utilization.The scientific issues to be researched are: the behavioral model of labor resource allocation of rural households in face of multiple choices and the basis therefor,the influence of the selection of labor resource allocation mode of rural households on employment and the causal relationship therebetween,the influence of the selection of labor resource allocation mode of rural households on household income and the realization approach for the same,and the influence of the selection of labor resource allocation mode of rural households on family welfare and the action mechanism thereof.The theoretical analyses and empirical researches on these issues will supplement the theories on rural labor force utilization,and provide a reference for rural households improving their labor source allocation mode.Ⅰ.Main Research Contents(i)To analyze rural households and their labor resources,mainly by focusing on attributes,types and population structure of rural households,and determination of quantity and quality evaluation of labor resources thereof.(ii)To analyze the household labor allocation choice,mainly by researching household labor employment subjective condition and the change of the environment,development and configuration department,analyzing the influence of the rural labor resources and family population age structure,family resources and social environment,family consumption and development demand for configuration choices,(iii)To analyze the employment efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households,mainly by researching the index setting and measurement of the employment efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households,analyzing the influence of disposable resources,existing stocks,and household social capital of rural households on the selection of labor resource allocation mode,combining different allocation modes with the employment of labor forces of rural households,and analyzing the direction and intensity of the choice of the labor resource allocation of rural households influencing with an econometric model based on rural household data.(iv)To analyze the income efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households,mainly by researching the index setting and measurement of the income efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households,analyzing the influence of the labor resource allocation mode,labor force composition,physical ability and skill of labor forces of rural households on their income,and analyzing the direction and intensity of labor resource allocation of rural households influencing the income with an econometric model based on rural household data.(v)To analyze the welfare efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households,mainly by researching the index setting and measurement of the welfare efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households,analyzing the influence of the selection of labor resource allocation mode,population structure,and physical ability and skills of labor forces of rural households on their welfare efficiency,and analyzing the direction and intensity of labor resource allocation of rural households influencing the family welfare with an econometric model based on rural household data.Ⅱ.Research Conclusions(i)The labor resources of rural households and the sectors in which the said labor resources are allocated need to be redefined.Since the reform and opening-up policy was implemented,peasants’ income,living standard,medical and health facilities,physical ability and cultural technology,labor capacity and working life have been constantly improved.The conventional working-age ranging from 16 to 60(male)or from 16 to 55(female)becomes not consistent with the new economic and social situation,so the labor resources of rural households should be redefined to include those who have labor capacity and are in employment.With the economic and social development,industrial sectors are further segmented,and with the increase of demand of rural people for welfare,family also becomes an important employment sector,which provides more job choices to labor forces from rural households,and more proper job opportunities to different types of labor forces.Thus,the conventional analysis of employment in agriculture and non-agriculture industries(mainly including the service industry)becomes less reliable.Instead,it is more practical to include the household sector into the employment analysis framework.According to a survey on 840 rural households,there were 222 persons at the age of 61 to 70 and having labor capacity,and 138 at the age above 70 and having certain labor capacity,who mainly assume the agricultural work and household duties;there were 45 households whose labor resources were allocated in the service industry only,accounting for 5.4%,259 whose labor resources were allocated in both the agriculture industry and the household sector,accounting 30.8%,184 whose labor resources were allocated in both the service industry and the household sector,accounting for 21.9%,and 352 whose labor resources were allocated in the agriculture industry,the service industry,and the household sector,accounting for 41.9%.These figures show that the labor forces at the age above 60 also are important labor resources,and should not be ignored,and rural households also are an important employment sector,and also should not be ignored.(ii)The selection of labor resource allocation mode of rural households is subject to reciprocal influence of multiple factors.The selection of labor resource allocation mode of rural households among the following options: agricultural sector,or service sector,or household sector,or a certain combination of the three sectors,is determined by the number,age structure,physical ability and skills of labor forces,but also influenced by the owned or disposable natural resources(mainly including land and water resource),production facilities and equipment,capital for investment,population structure,and social capital of households and the macro-economic situation.The outcome of the reciprocal influence of these factors finally determines the allocation mode of labor resources of rural households.Among these influencing factors,the number,age structure,and physical ability and skills of labor forces are the basis on which an allocation mode is selected,which fundamentally determines the possibility and feasibility of a certain allocation mode.Households’ resources,assets and population structure are the internal conditions for selecting an allocation mode.The better the internal conditions are,the wider the selection of allocation mode is,and the higher the likelihood of selection optimization is.The social capital of households and the macro-economic environment are the external conditions for selecting an allocation mode.The better the external conditions are,the more flexible the selection is,and the more opportunities of selection optimization are.For different types of rural households,these influencing factors have both advantages and disadvantages,and the influencing direction and intensity of these factors also differ.Thus,these factors usually will be put into comprehensive consideration and fully weighed when allocating labor resources,to increase both income and welfare.(iii)The characteristic of considering multiple objectives of labor resource allocation of rural households is prominent.No matter how labor sources of rural households are allocated,in a single sector or multiple sectors,in agricultural sector or in both service sector and household sector,the tenets of household production,living and development are to be achieved,emphasis is to be laid on all the objectives of the whole family,and it is inadvisable to over-emphasize or maximize a single objective.This will be realized by rationally allocating labor sources,and taking the welfare guarantee of all family members into account while seeking high labor income,especially of child raising and senior care.Specifically,the young adults with good physical ability and skills will be allocated in the service sector,the experienced labor forces around 60 years old in the agricultural sector,and the less strong labor forces around 70 years old in the household sector.While labor forces are allocated in the field of production and operation,some labor forces also are reserved for household duties.On the other hand,income,working stability,safety,and family harmony and development also should be taken into account while allocating labor resources.In comprehensive consideration of these factors,rural households tend to select a balanced mode of labor resource allocation rather than maximize a specific objective.(iv)The employment efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households is influenced by multiple factors,but the dominant influencing factor is uncertain.The employment efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households is mainly subject to the positive influence of the proportion of labor forces in the service industry to that in the agricultural industry and the allocation mode thereof,and family structure,capital per capita,and social resources of households,and the negative influence of the proportion of labor forces of households,and the proportion of child and senior of households.Every single factors of the said just plays a limited role.Among the positive influencing factors,the proportion of labor forces in the service industry takes the largest role,followed by social resources,labor resource allocation mode,and population structure of households,and the proportion of labor forces in the agricultural sector and the capital per capita of households make little difference.Among the negative influencing factors,the proportion of labor forces of households takes the largest role,followed by the proportion of senior of households,then by the proportion of child of households.This is because high proportion of labor resources in the service sector means that lots of surplus labor forces of rural households can be absorbed,rich social resources of households mean broad channels of employment in non-agricultural sectors,and allocation of labor resources in multiple sectors makes for employment of labor forces of different types so that the employment rate of labor forces is increased.More labor forces bound to family means lower proportion of labor forces putting into employment.Both the senior and children consume strong labor forces,so that the labor forces having to stay home for caring the senior and raising children can seldom go out for work,and the employment efficiency of labor resource allocation of such households is lowered.(v)The income efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households is influenced by a few factors,but the dominant one is certain.The income efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households is mainly subject to the positive influence of the proportion of labor forces in the service and agricultural sectors,the allocation mode,employment rate of labor forces,physical ability and skills of labor forces,and the negative influence of the proportion of labor forces in the household sector.Among the positive influencing factors,the physical ability of labor forces makes little difference.This is because high skills mean high possibility that labor forces get a job with high salaries,a high employment rate of labor forces means high income of individual labor force and high average income level,and allocation of labor forces in multiple sectors helps increase employment rate,exert group effect of labor income,and raise average income.Though the labor forces allocated in the household sector also create value,the value created by them is much less than that created by those allocated in other sectors due to low production rate,which is adverse to raise the average income of households.(vi)The influencing factors of the welfare efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households are complex,but the prominent one is certain.The welfare efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households is mainly subject to the positive influence of the proportion of labor forces in the service,agricultural and household sectors,the allocation mode of labor forces of households,the proportion of labor forces of households,and the physical ability and skills of labor forces,and the negative influence of the proportion of the senior and child of households.Among the positive influencing factors,the skills of labor forces take the greatest role,followed by the allocation mode of labor forces,then by the physical ability of labor forces,and then by the proportion of labor forces of households,and the other three factors make little difference.This is because the labor forces with skills can engage in production of high value-added agricultural products in the agricultural sector or get a job with high salaries in non-agricultural sectors,who can get an income much higher than that of general labor forces,and provide a reliable support to raise the welfare level of households.The allocation mode of labor forces of households determines the employment and income of labor forces.The more rationally labor forces are allocated,the higher the overall employment and income are,and higher welfare is brought to households.The labor forces from the agricultural sector mainly do manual work in non-agricultural sectors.Therefore,the stronger they are,the better they get in work,and the larger the chance that they get a job with high salaries is.Then it is also more likely for them to raise their household welfare.A higher proportion of labor forces of households means more labor forces working to make money and less people to be supported,which certainly makes for raising the household welfare level.A higher proportion of children and senior of households means more labor forces and money and materials needed to support and care them.Besides,the labor forces allocated in the household sector make a little value.Thus,the income of households with a high proportion of children and senior is low,and the expenditure is high,which certainly is adverse to raising their household welfare level.Ⅲ.Innovative Points(i)It is pointed out that the labor resources of rural households and the sectors in which the labor resources to be allocated need to be redefined.Researches show that with technological advance,mechanical equipment usage,the improvement of health status of rural population,and social development,the labor capacity of labor forces in rural areas is enhanced and their working age is extended,and all those with labor capacity join in work in different ways.Meanwhile,besides the agricultural and service sectors,some labor forces of rural households also are allocated in the household sector.In view of this,it was proposed to redefine the labor resources of rural households to be those having certain labor capacity and actually joining in work,and include the household sector into the labor force allocation analysis framework,and the labor economics were amended and supplemented by expanding the working age ranging from 16 to 60(or 55 for female)based on which labor resources were determined in the past,and the agricultural and service sectors in which labor resources of rural households were allocated in the past.(ii)It was demonstrated that the influencing factors of different efficiencies of labor resource allocation of rural households show both coincidence and difference.Normally,the influencing factors of the employment efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households also have impact on the income efficiency and welfare efficiency,so the influencing factors of the income efficiency should be similar to that of the welfare efficiency.Yet research results show that only the proportion of labor forces in the service,agricultural and household and the allocation mode have an influence on all the three efficiencies,other influencing factors of the three efficiencies are different,and some factors influence the three efficiencies in different ways.For example,the employment efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households also is subject to the influence of the total population of rural households,the proportion of children and the senior,per capita deposit and cash,and social capital,the income efficiency to the employment rate,physical ability and skills of labor forces,and the welfare efficiency to the proportion of children and the senior,the proportion of labor forces of households,and the physical ability and skills of labor forces.The proportion of labor forces in the household sector has a negative influence on the employment efficiency and the income efficiency,but a positive influence on the welfare efficiency.According to these results,measures can be taken to offset the adverse factors,and enhance the positive factors,to raise the efficiencies of labor resource allocation of households.(iii)The key factors determining the efficiencies of labor resource allocation of rural households were revealed.Research results show that there are many factors influencing the employment efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households,but no one plays a dominant role.Relatively speaking,the proportion of labor forces in the service sector plays the greatest positive role,while the proportion of labor forces in the household sector plays the greatest negative role.The income efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households is influenced by a few factors,among which the skills,employment rate and allocation mode of labor forces have a decisive effect,and other factors make little difference.The welfare efficiency of labor resource allocation of rural households also is subject to the influence of several factors,but only the physical ability,skills,allocation mode,and proportion of labor forces play a decisive role,and other factors play a limited role.Based on this,rural households can lay emphasis on the improvement of key factors,to increase the efficiencies of labor resource allocation. |
PDF Full Text Request