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Firm Response to Competitive Shocks: Evidence from China's Minimum Wage Policy

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  • Hau, Harald
  • Huang, Yi
  • Wang, Gewei

Abstract

The large regional variation of minimum wage changes in 2002-08 implies that Chinese manufacturing firms experienced competitive shocks as a function of firm location and their low-wage employment share. We find that minimum wage hikes accelerate the input substitution from labor to capital in low-wage firms, reduce employment growth, but also accelerate total factor productivity growth--particularly among the less productive firms under private Chinese or foreign ownership, but not among state-owned enterprises. The heterogeneous firm response to labor cost shocks can be explained by differences in governance or management practice, but is difficult to reconcile with the idea that competitive pressure is a substitute for governance quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Hau, Harald & Huang, Yi & Wang, Gewei, 2016. "Firm Response to Competitive Shocks: Evidence from China's Minimum Wage Policy," CEPR Discussion Papers 11429, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:11429
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Firm productivity; Minimum wage policy; Management quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology

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