CHENGDU - The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced Wednesday that the average monthly salary for the country's migrant workers from rural areas reached 2,049 yuan ($325) in 2011, up 21.2 percent from the previous year.

The wage increase came as the number of rural migrant workers rose 4.4 percent year-on-year to hit 252.78 million as of the end of 2011, said Vice Minister Yang Zhiming.

Meanwhile, problems with employers delaying wage payments to migrant workers were curbed last year, and their skill training was further enhanced, Yang said at a national conference on rural migrant workers held Wednesday in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province.

Migrant workers have been a vital force for city-building in the world's second-largest economy. However, unequal access to education and medical services and obstacles such as the Hukou system, or household registration system, are preventing them from truly integrating into urban life.

During the conference, attendees agreed that the country should continue its efforts to build a harmonious relationship between workers and employers by increasing the amount of signed labor contracts and helping resolve wage delays this year.

They also agreed to improve living conditions for migrant workers and strive for their rights to enjoy equal education and medical services.