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Minimum Wage in China

Author

Listed:
  • Qianqian Yang

    (Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University, JAPAN)

  • Nobuaki Hamaguchi

    (Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration, Kobe University, JAPAN)

Abstract

This paper reviews the institutional background of China's minimum wage system, shaped by four key labor law regulations, with a focus on its defining feature of regional heterogeneity. We compile a unique and comprehensive database on minimum wage standards across all 31 provinces from 1995 to 2022, incorporating both nominal and real wage levels as well as their geographic distribution. The dataset and our analysis provide a valuable foundation for understanding the potential role of minimum wage policy in shaping labor market outcomes and regional economic dynamics in the context of a modernizing and developing economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Qianqian Yang & Nobuaki Hamaguchi, 2025. "Minimum Wage in China," Discussion Paper Series DP2025-10, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    • Handle: RePEc:kob:dpaper:dp2025-10
    as

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    File URL: https://www.rieb.kobe-u.ac.jp/academic/ra/dp/English/DP2025-10.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy
    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access

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