More than half of the migrant workers in Guangzhou, capital city of booming Guangdong Province in south China, will stay in the city, in stead of returning home, for the upcoming Spring Festival to earn extra money.

Among the 1.44 million migrant workers in Guangzhou, about 740,000 are choosing not to go back home for the week-long holiday, according to a recent survey of Guangzhou Labor Market Service Center.

Bosses at the center was quoted by the Beijing-based China Daily as saying that many migrant workers had needy families and were attracted to remain in Guangzhou because of wage bonuses over the period.

As most firms engaged in service sectors, such as restaurants, supermarkets and shopping malls, do not close at any time of the year, many employers are offering double or even triple pay during the holidays.

Luo Changjiang, 33, from Southwest China's Sichuan Province, is among the migrant workers who have decided not to go home.

Having worked in the city for more than 10 years, Luo has done a number of temporary jobs, such as construction worker, drinking water deliveryman and newspaper salesman.

"In the past I always quit my job and returned home for Lunar New Year," Luo said.

He started to work as a full-time security guard in Guangzhou's Baiyun District in May last year.

In order to stay at his post, Luo decided to bring his family to Guangzhou instead for the Spring Festival.

Luo said: "I will show them around the city and will celebrate Lunar New Year with them."

(China Daily January 19, 2006)