Shrinking income gap between grads and migrants not a surprise

DATA FROM THE Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security show the average monthly income of migrant workers mainly engaged in manual labor was 3,072 yuan ($461) in 2015, while college graduates were earning a monthly average of 3,726 yuan six months after leaving campus. This shows the gap between those with and without college diplomas is shrinking. China Youth Daily comments:

Many people criticize college graduates for expecting higher salaries than migrant workers, saying their attitude is discriminatory. Such criticism is groundless. When a family spends huge amounts on its children's higher education, it will expect them to get well-paying jobs.

It is unfair to equate white-collar workers with their blue-collar counterparts. If a college diploma does not get a good job and social position, people will hesitate to send their children to college, which in turn would undermine the authorities' efforts to improve the educational standards in China.