Clarification of the Agricultural Labor Shortage Problem and Relief Paths

Abstract

Due to the acceleration of the aging process and the orderly advancement of urbanization, the current shortage of agricultural labor in China is not only characterized by a sharp decline in absolute quantity, but also by structural imbalance as evidenced by the aging, low-quality, part-time, and widespread nature of the agricultural labor structure. Therefore, countermeasures should be sought from both the supply side and demand side of agricultural labor. On the demand side, the machine substitution effect should be realized under the premise of developing moderate-scale operations and the withdrawal of elderly farmers; on the supply side, channels for college graduates willing to return to their hometowns and migrant farmers to obtain employment and start businesses should be smoothed to achieve two-way flow of urban-rural factors.