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The stalled quiet revolution: Population control, skewed sex ratios, and the widening gender gap in labor force participation

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  • Chen, Zihao
  • Ding, Yawen
  • Tian, Xu

Abstract

China's declining female labor force participation (LFP) stands in stark contrast to the global “quiet revolution” of rising women's economic engagement. This paper offers a novel explanation for this unique trend through the long-term unintended effects of population control policies, which have distorted sex ratios in both marriage and labor markets. Using a cohort difference-in-differences strategy, we find that the introduction of China's One-Child Policy (OCP) significantly reduced women's LFP by 12 percentage points relative to their male counterparts. The widening gender gap in LFP is primarily driven by male-biased sex ratios resulting from the OCP. Specifically, women exposed to more skewed sex ratios exhibit higher marriage and fertility rates, improved husband quality, greater intra-household bargaining power, extended leisure time, and fewer ambition-related psychological traits. The crowding-out effect of labor market distortions on the gender gap in LFP plays a secondary role. These insights explain the continuing decline in female labor supply and the enlarging gender gap in LFP in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Zihao & Ding, Yawen & Tian, Xu, 2026. "The stalled quiet revolution: Population control, skewed sex ratios, and the widening gender gap in labor force participation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:182:y:2026:i:c:s0304387826000817
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2026.103798
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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