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Economy and Market in China: The State, Wage Labour and the Construction of the ‘China Price’

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  • Bayari, Celal

Abstract

China’s entry into the world trade, investment and production system and the economic growth of the last four decades have culminated in a rigid labour market duality that is based on the division of the urban-rural residential registry system, hukou. A migrant labour population has been created, the burdens of which have become augmented despite the long period of growth. Migrant labour is the producer of the “China price” which is the significantly low cost of production that the country provides to investors. This paper analyses the context of migrant labour and its origins. The discussion extends into the state policies on labour institutions (minimum wage system, All-China Federation of Trade Unions [ACFTU] and the welfare measures) and further analyses the conditions of the female and youth labour markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Bayari, Celal, 2018. "Economy and Market in China: The State, Wage Labour and the Construction of the ‘China Price’," MPRA Paper 100900, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 04 Mar 2018.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:100900
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Chinese economy; the state; market; growth; trade; economic geography; labour;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J4 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets
    • J41 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Labor Contracts
    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets
    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination
    • J78 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Public Policy (including comparable worth)
    • L5 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy
    • L6 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • R0 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General

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