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More Jobs or Widening Inequality? Public Data Governance and Low-Skilled Labor in the People’s Republic of China

Author

Listed:
  • Desheng Wu

    (Sichuan University)

  • Yu Xie

    (Xi’an Jiaotong University)

  • Yuan Pei

    (Asian Development Bank)

Abstract

The employment consequences of public data governance efforts remain largely unexamined despite the rapid global expansion of open government data (OGD) initiatives. We address this gap by looking at the staggered rollout of OGD platforms across 218 cities in the People’s Republic of China, applying a difference-in-differences design to business registration records covering 70 million enterprises, listed company employment data for the period 2009–2022, and labor dispute records. Public data access raises aggregate employment through firm dynamics, with both firm entry and firm exit accelerating and net employment expanding. These gains concentrate among ordinary workers, particularly less educated employees and those in production roles, rather than among managers.

Suggested Citation

  • Desheng Wu & Yu Xie & Yuan Pei, 2026. "More Jobs or Widening Inequality? Public Data Governance and Low-Skilled Labor in the People’s Republic of China," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 859, Asian Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:adbewp:023551
    DOI: 10.22617/WPS260371-2
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    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software

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