Gender-gap reversal in education and the female labor supply: Evidence from China

This study investigates whether female educational advantages—defined as accumulating more educational credits than males—affects female labor force participation (FLFP) in China. Using nationally representative data from the China Family Panel Studies and instrumental variable strategies to address endogeneity, we find that females who surpass their spouses in education are less likely to participate in the labor force. This negative association is stronger among females with traditional gender beliefs, lower education, older age, more children, lower family status, or who live in conservative regions, and weaker among highly educated females, those with highly educated spouses, and in areas with higher FLFP. Mechanism analysis shows that gender display norms, rather than bargaining power or labor market discrimination, primarily drive this pattern. Notably, men with higher education than their wives are more likely to participate in the labor force, underscoring a gender asymmetry. These findings suggest that the reversal of the educational gender gap may unintentionally reinforce traditional roles, and that addressing persistent gender norms is essential to converting educational gains into real progress in gender equality at work and at home.