Rural roots create hardship

The family backgrounds of rural Chinese students create a major barrier to their entry into universities and the job market, according to an employment report released yesterday by a think-tank.

The children of farmers and migrant workers are held to different and disadvantageous entry requirements than other applicants to universities, which later affects their job prospects, the report showed.

The report, the 2009 Blue Book of Employment, is the first of an annual series to be published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.