Spatial Mismatch or Not? Evidence from Public Janitors in Xi ’an, China

Research on the spatial mismatch experienced by low-income minority residents is US-centric. However, spatial mismatch is not necessarily an appropriate term when considering the situation of low-wage workers in cities of northwestern China where there is higher proximity between jobs and housing and lower levels of residential segregation. This paper empirically examines the jobs-housing spatial relationship for one of the most typical low-wage groups, namely, public janitors, in Xi’an, China. Also, the causes of the jobs-housing spatial relationship are discussed in detail. Individual-level data based on in-depth interviews and questionnaires, as well as the GIS network analysis method, are used to provide baseline analyses of the jobs-housing spatial relationship. Results indicate that there is no jobs-housing spatial mismatch for public janitors in Xi’an. This can be implied from the short commuting distance and time. A basic cause is that most public janitors rent low-cost accommodation in villages-in-the-city, and in old residential quarters, near to their places of work. Other causes lie in off-peak commuting and high sensitivity to commuting distance due to the greater extent of non-motorized commuting modes. The conclusions, based on a large number of social surveys, are an illuminating analysis of the spatial mismatch issue among low-wage workers in Chinese cities.