William Hurst is Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin.

'This concise book addresses several issues regarding the layoffs of employees in the public industrial sector in China in the 1990s and early 2000s. … The greatest strength of the book is that, unlike existing research, it introduces regional variation in explaining the issues … The book is also rich in data. … Overall, this is a very well-written book that describes and analyses the process of the unprecedented industrial restructuring or the critical period of the economic transition in China.' The China Quarterly

• Introduction; 1. Regional political economy and labor reform; 2. The roots of unemployment and the political economy of lay-offs; 3. Remaking China's urban welfare and labor market policies; 4. Pathways to re-employment; 5. Contention, protest, and social order; Conclusion.

William Hurst is Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin.

'This concise book addresses several issues regarding the layoffs of employees in the public industrial sector in China in the 1990s and early 2000s. … The greatest strength of the book is that, unlike existing research, it introduces regional variation in explaining the issues … The book is also rich in data. … Overall, this is a very well-written book that describes and analyses the process of the unprecedented industrial restructuring or the critical period of the economic transition in China.' The China Quarterly

• Introduction; 1. Regional political economy and labor reform; 2. The roots of unemployment and the political economy of lay-offs; 3. Remaking China's urban welfare and labor market policies; 4. Pathways to re-employment; 5. Contention, protest, and social order; Conclusion.