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The effect of the state sector on wage inequality in urban China: 1988--2007

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  • Qingjie Xia
  • Lina Song
  • Shi Li
  • Simon Appleton

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of the public sector and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) on wage inequality in urban China using China Household Income Project data. It applies quantile regression analysis, the Machado and Mata decomposition to investigate how urban wage inequality was affected by the changes in wage structure and employment shares of the public sector and SOEs. We find that since the radical state sector reforms designed to reduce overstaffing and improve efficiency in the late 1990s, urban wage gaps were narrowed due to the reduction in the employment share of the state sector; the wage premium of the state sector in comparison with the non-state sector increased significantly; and changes in the wage structure of the labour market caused the rise in urban wage inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Qingjie Xia & Lina Song & Shi Li & Simon Appleton, 2014. "The effect of the state sector on wage inequality in urban China: 1988--2007," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 29-45, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jocebs:v:12:y:2014:i:1:p:29-45
    DOI: 10.1080/14765284.2013.875282
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    3. Prema†chandra Athukorala & Zheng Wei, 2018. "Economic Transition And Labour Market Dynamics In China: An Interpretative Survey Of The €˜Turning Point’ Debate," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 420-439, April.
    4. Ma, Yuanyuan & Walsh, Patrick Paul, 2013. "Party Membership and State Jobs in Urban China," IZA Discussion Papers 7643, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Kritkorn Nawakitphaitoon & Xuan Chen & Yuhao Ge, 2016. "State and Non-state Earnings Differentials over Time in China’s Urban Labor Market: Evidence from the Urban Household Survey (1994–2007)," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 287-316, September.
    6. Dosi, Giovanni & Virgillito, Maria Enrica & Yu, Xiaodan, 2020. "The wage-productivity nexus in the world factory economy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    7. Qi, Di & Wu, Yichao, 2016. "The extent and risk factors of child poverty in urban China — What can be done for realising the Chinese government goal of eradicating poverty before 2020," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 74-82.
    8. Song, Lina & Appleton, Simon & Liang, Zhe, 2016. "Deconstructing Informality: A Response to Vulnerability or an Optimal Choice?," IZA Discussion Papers 10100, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Loren Brandt & Feitao Jiang & Yao Luo & Yingjun Su, 2022. "Ownership and Productivity in Vertically Integrated Firms: Evidence from the Chinese Steel Industry," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 104(1), pages 101-115, March.
    10. Christopher Candelaria & Mary Daly & Galina Hale, 2015. "Persistence of Regional Wage Differences in China," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 365-387, August.
    11. Yuanyuan Ma & Patrick Paul Walsh & Liming Wang, 2017. "Earnings Premium in State Jobs Across Urban China," Asian Economic Papers, MIT Press, vol. 16(2), pages 167-184, Summer.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • P23 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Factor and Product Markets; Industry Studies; Population

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