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Economic Reforms and Gender Inequality in Urban China

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  • Haoming Liu

Abstract

This study jointly examines the gender earnings gap and employment rate in urban China using a longitudinal data set that covers the period of 1989-2004. Consistent with previous studies, we find that gender earnings gap increased by 5 percentage points between 1989 and 1997. Since then, its changes have become much more moderate. Actually, after controlling for observed characteristics, the size of the earnings gap in 2004 is almost the same as it was in 1997. The widening earnings gap in the 1989-1997 period was accompanied by a rising employment gap between men and women, particularly among those aged 45 and older. The stability in the gender earnings gap in the later years co-occurred with a decline in the employment of less educated women.

Suggested Citation

  • Haoming Liu, 2011. "Economic Reforms and Gender Inequality in Urban China," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 59(4), pages 839-876.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/660006
    DOI: 10.1086/660006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Wei Zhang & Zhun Xu, 2022. "Gender Norms and Household Labor: Time Use in the Context of Social Class Differentiation in Transitional China," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 54(1), pages 106-121, March.
    2. Gustafsson, Björn & Wan, Haiyuan, 2020. "Wage growth and inequality in urban China: 1988–2013," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    3. Gustafsson, Björn & Li, Shi & Nivorozhkina, Ludmila & Wan, Haiyuan, 2015. "Yuan and Roubles: Comparing wage determination in urban China and Russia at the beginning of the new millennium," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 248-265.
    4. repec:ilo:ilowps:487966 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. John Giles & Dewen Wang & Albert Park, 2013. "Expanding Social Insurance Coverage in Urban China," Research in Labor Economics, in: Labor Market Issues in China, pages 123-179, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    6. Dasgupta, Sukti. & Matsumoto, Makiko. & Xia, Cuntao., 2015. "Women in the labour market in China," ILO Working Papers 994879663402676, International Labour Organization.

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