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The effects of rural–urban migration on corporate innovation: Evidence from a natural experiment in China

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  • Deqiu Chen
  • Huasheng Gao
  • Jiang Luo
  • Yujing Ma

Abstract

We show that the migration of low‐skilled, rural workers to urban centers has a negative causal effect on innovation of firms in such urban centers. Our tests exploit the staggered relaxation of city‐level household registration system in China, which facilitates rural residents to migrate to cities. We find a significant decrease in innovation for firms headquartered in cities that have adopted such policies relative to firms headquartered in cities that have not. Overall, our results support the view that an abundant supply of low‐skilled workers increases the benefit of using existing low‐skilled technology and thus reduces firms’ incentive to innovate.

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  • Deqiu Chen & Huasheng Gao & Jiang Luo & Yujing Ma, 2020. "The effects of rural–urban migration on corporate innovation: Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 49(2), pages 521-545, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:finmgt:v:49:y:2020:i:2:p:521-545
    DOI: 10.1111/fima.12280
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    2. Tan, Zhidong & Yan, Lina, 2021. "Does air pollution impede corporate innovation?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 937-951.
    3. Kong, Dongmin & Zhang, Bohui & Zhang, Jian, 2022. "Higher education and corporate innovation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    4. Tan, Youchao & Liu, Xiumei & Sun, Hanwen & Zeng, Cheng(Colin), 2022. "Population ageing, labour market rigidity and corporate innovation: Evidence from China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(2).
    5. Zheng Li & Fengshuo Liu & Shuai Mi, 2022. "Can an increase in the minimum wage standard force enterprises to innovate? Evidence from China," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(8), pages 3807-3819, December.

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