IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/apacel/v32y2018i1p59-76.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Are China's unit labour costs still competitive? A comparison with ASEAN countries

Author

Listed:
  • Yuming Cui
  • Changrong Lu

Abstract

The rapidly rising wages and renminbi (RMB) revaluation have attracted lively debate about whether China can continue its rapid economic growth by relying on labour†intensive goods exports. By comparing the competitiveness in labour costs between China and ASEAN countries, with a particular emphasis on unit labour costs, we find that China has lost its competitiveness in labour costs relative to ASEAN countries. However, our results show that some regions in China, such as the northeast and northwest, still have an advantage relative to ASEAN countries. Thus, China can duplicate Akamatsu's Flying Geese Paradigm by transferring labour†intensive manufacturing industry from its coastal areas to non†coastal areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuming Cui & Changrong Lu, 2018. "Are China's unit labour costs still competitive? A comparison with ASEAN countries," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 32(1), pages 59-76, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:apacel:v:32:y:2018:i:1:p:59-76
    DOI: 10.1111/apel.12217
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/apel.12217
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/apel.12217?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cui , Yuming, 2013. "How Is the RMB Exchange Rate Misaligned? A Recent Application of Behavioral Equilibrium Exchange Rate (BEER) to China," East Asian Economic Review, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, vol. 17(3), pages 281-310, September.
    2. Minquan Liu, 2011. "Understanding the Pattern of Growth and Equity in the People’s Republic of China," Macroeconomics Working Papers 23205, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    3. Bart Van Ark & Abdul Azeez & Erumban Vivian Chen & Chen Utsav Kumar, "undated". "The Cost Competitiveness of Manufacturing in China and India: An Industry and Regional Perspective," Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi Working Papers 228, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi, India.
    4. Dennis Tao Yang & Vivian Weijia Chen & Ryan Monarch, 2010. "Rising Wages: Has China Lost Its Global Labor Advantage?," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(4), pages 482-504, October.
    5. Bart Van Ark & Abdul Azeez Erumban & Vivian Chen & Utsav Kumar, 2008. "The Cost Competitiveness of Manufacturing in China and India - An Industry and Regional Perspective," Macroeconomics Working Papers 22268, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    6. Liu, Minquan, 2011. "Understanding the Pattern of Growth and Equity in the People’s Republic of China," ADBI Working Papers 331, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    7. Mr. Igor Lebrun & Mrs. Esther Perez Ruiz, 2011. "Real Unit Labor Costs Differentials in EMU+L4700: How Big, How Benign and How Reversible?," IMF Working Papers 2011/109, International Monetary Fund.
    8. Yanrui Wu, 2016. "China's Capital Stock Series by Region and Sector," Frontiers of Economics in China-Selected Publications from Chinese Universities, Higher Education Press, vol. 11(1), pages 156-172, March.
    9. F. Gerard Adams & Byron Gangnes & Yochanan Shachmurove, 2006. "Why is China so Competitive? Measuring and Explaining China's Competitiveness," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 95-122, February.
    10. Ceglowski Janet & Golub Stephen S., 2012. "Does China Still Have a Labor Cost Advantage?," Global Economy Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 12(3), pages 1-30, September.
    11. C. H. Kwan, 2002. "The Rise of China and Asia's Flying-Geese Pattern of Economic Development: An Empirical Analysis Based on US Import Statistics," Discussion papers 02009, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    12. Cai, Fang & Wang, Dewen & Du, Yang, 2002. "Regional disparity and economic growth in China: The impact of labor market distortions," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(2-3), pages 197-212.
    13. Minquan Liu, 2011. "Understanding the Pattern of Growth and Equity in the People’s Republic of China," Development Economics Working Papers 23205, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    14. Igor Lebrun & Esther Pérez, 2011. "Real Unit labor costs differentials in EMU: How big, how benign and how reversible?," EcoMod2011 2830, EcoMod.
    15. David Roland Holst & John Weiss, 2004. "ASEAN and China: Export Rivals or Partners in Regional Growth?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1255-1274, August.
    16. Hongbin Li & Lei Li & Binzhen Wu & Yanyan Xiong, 2012. "The End of Cheap Chinese Labor," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(4), pages 57-74, Fall.
    17. Thorbecke, Willem, 2010. "An empirical analysis of ASEAN's labor-intensive exports," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 505-513, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jian Zhou & Jingjing Deng & Li Li & Shuang Wang, 2023. "The Demographic Dividend or the Education Dividend? Evidence from China’s Economic Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Yang Liuyi & Zhu Yunchan & Ren Feirong, 2023. "Does government investment push up manufacturing labor costs? Evidence from China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Muriel Périsse & Clément Séhier, 2019. "Analysing wages and labour institutions in China: An unfinished transition," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 30(3), pages 400-421, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Qiao, Fangbin, 2017. "Increasing wage, mechanization, and agriculture production in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 249-260.
    2. Shen, Jim Huangnan & Long, Zhiming & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Zhang, Jun, 2022. "Comparative advantage, endowment structure, and trade imbalances," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 365-375.
    3. Minquan Liu & Yuming Cui, 2023. "Land Financing-Led Urbanization in China: Evolution, Scale and Lessons," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(6), pages 1-54, June.
    4. Zhou, Yixiao & Tyers, Rod, 2019. "Automation and inequality in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    5. Yingjie Fan & Frank Schwartz & Stefan Voß & David L. Woodruff, 2017. "Stochastic programming for flexible global supply chain planning," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 601-633, December.
    6. Song, Yang & Zhou, Guangsu, 2019. "Inequality of opportunity and household education expenditures: Evidence from panel data in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 85-98.
    7. Carsten A Holz & Aaron Mehrotra, 2013. "Wage and price dynamics in a large emerging economy: The case of China," BIS Working Papers 409, Bank for International Settlements.
    8. Wang, Ping & Kinnucan, Henry W. & Duffy, Patricia A., 2017. "Effects of China's Rising Labor Costs on the World Cotton Market," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258431, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Carsten A. Holz & Aaron Mehrotra, 2016. "Wage and Price Dynamics in China," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(8), pages 1109-1127, August.
    10. Jianhong Zhang & Désirée van Gorp & Haico Ebbers, 2019. "What Determines Trade Between China And India During The Recession Of 2008–2012?," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(2), pages 389-406, April.
    11. Fields, Gary & Song, Yang, 2020. "Modeling migration barriers in a two-sector framework: A welfare analysis of the hukou reform in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 293-301.
    12. Belton M. Fleisher & William H. McGuire & Xiaojun Wang & Min Qiang Zhao, 2021. "Induced innovation: evidence from China’s secondary industry," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(52), pages 6075-6093, November.
    13. Yinyin Cai & Yew-Kwang Ng, 2014. "Part-Peasants: Incomplete Rural–Urban Labour Migration in China," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(4), pages 401-422, October.
    14. Brendan Coates & Dougal Horton & Lachlan McNamee, 2012. "China: prospects for export-driven growth," Economic Roundup, The Treasury, Australian Government, issue 4, pages 79-102, December.
    15. Carsten A Holz & Aaron Mehrotra, 2013. "Wage and price dynamics in a large emerging economy: The case of China," BIS Working Papers 409, Bank for International Settlements.
    16. Myint Moe Chit & Marian Rizov & Dirk Willenbockel, 2010. "Exchange Rate Volatility and Exports: New Empirical Evidence from the Emerging East Asian Economies," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 239-263, February.
    17. Prema-chandra Athukorala & Zheng Wei, 2015. "Economic Transition and Labour Market Dynamics in China: An Interpretative Survey of the ‘Turning Point’ Debate," Departmental Working Papers 2015-06, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    18. Joshi, Deepika & Nepal, Bimal & Rathore, Ajay Pal Singh & Sharma, Dipti, 2013. "On supply chain competitiveness of Indian automotive component manufacturing industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 151-161.
    19. repec:zbw:bofitp:2014_003 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Wei Qian & Yongsheng Wang, 2022. "How Do Rising Labor Costs Affect Green Total Factor Productivity? Based on the Industrial Intelligence Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-19, October.
    21. Bruno Amann & Jacques Jaussaud & Zhang Boqi, 2018. "Chinese outward foreign direct investment," Post-Print hal-04058137, HAL.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:apacel:v:32:y:2018:i:1:p:59-76. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14678411 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.