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Economic Transition and Private-Sector Labor Demand: Evidence from Urban China

Author

Listed:
  • Lakshmi Iyer

    (Harvard Business School, Business, Government and the International Economy Unit)

  • Xin Meng

    (Australian National University)

  • Nancy Qian

    (Yale University)

  • Xiaoxue Zhao

    (Yale University)

Abstract

This paper studies the policy determinants of economic transition and estimates the elasticity demand for labor in the infant private sector in urban China. We show that a reform that untied access to housing in urban areas from working for the state sector accounts for more than a quarter of the overall increase in labor supply to the private sector during 1986-2005. We do not find any increase in self-employment. Using the reform to instrument for private-sector labor supply, we find that private-sector labor demand is very elastic, with elasticity estimates ranging between -3.1 and -5.3.

Suggested Citation

  • Lakshmi Iyer & Xin Meng & Nancy Qian & Xiaoxue Zhao, 2013. "Economic Transition and Private-Sector Labor Demand: Evidence from Urban China," Harvard Business School Working Papers 14-047, Harvard Business School, revised Apr 2016.
    • Handle: RePEc:hbs:wpaper:14-047
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    Cited by:

    1. Emran, M. Shahe & Shilpi, Forhad, 2015. "Do Land Market Restrictions Hinder Structural Change in a Rural Economy? Evidence from Sri Lanka," MPRA Paper 66017, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Chen, Yuyu & Naidu, Suresh & Yu, Tinghua & Yuchtman, Noam, 2015. "Intergenerational mobility and institutional change in 20th century China," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 44-73.
    3. Anton Cheremukhin & Mikhail Golosov & Sergei Guriev & Aleh Tsyvinski, 2015. "The Economy of People’s Republic of China from 1953," NBER Working Papers 21397, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Guriev, Sergei & Cheremukhin, Anton & Golosov, Mikhail & Tsyvinski, Aleh, 2015. "The Economy of People’s Republic of China from 1953," CEPR Discussion Papers 10764, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • P2 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand

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