中國大陸改革開放前，農民無法離開農村，不能自由遷徙，更難進入城市。農村聯產承包責任制的推展，不但衝垮人民公社的政經合一制度，也掀起中國大陸農村全面的變化。從農村生產力的提高，農村剩餘勞動力的轉移，到農民工進入工業化、城市化的發展浪潮中，都可清楚地看見這一股湧動的勞動力。根據世界其他地區發展經驗及相關發展經濟學理論，我們可以用來理解中國大陸城鄉之間勞動轉移的趨勢；但因中國大陸特有的戶籍管理制度與農村土地使用制度，使得農民工的移動現象和其他地區呈現不同的風貌。本文的目的就是以發展經濟學理論為基礎，納入中國大陸農村勞動力所處的制度環境差異，說明農民工流動過程中的階段特色，進而探討其對中國大陸經濟發展產生的影響。

Before the reform and opening up policy in mainland China, peasants could not leave from the countryside, could not move freely, and were more difficult to enter the city. The promotion of the rural contracted responsibility system not only rushes to the political and economic integration system of the people's communes, but also sets off comprehensive changes in the rural areas of the mainland. From the improvement of rural productivity, the transfer of rural surplus labor, to the wave of development of migrant workers into the industrialization and urbanization of the mainland, this surging labor force can be clearly seen. According to the development experience of other parts of the world and relevant development economics theories, we can use it to understand the trend of labor transfer between urban and rural areas in China; but because of the unique household registration management system and rural land use system, the movement of migrant workers in mainland China and other The area presents different styles. The purpose of this paper is to take into account the differences in institutional environment in which the rural labor force in the mainland is based on the theory of development economics, to explain the characteristics of the stage of the migrant workers in the mainland, and to explore its impact on the economic development of the mainland.