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Economic Reform and Changing Patterns of Labor Force Participation in Urban and Rural China

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  • Margaret Maurer-Fazio
  • James Hughes
  • Dandan Zhang

Abstract

In this project, we employ data from the Chinese population censuses of 1982, 1990, and 2000 to examine reform-era changes in the patterns of male and female labor force participation and in the distribution of men???s and women???s occupational attainment. Very marked patterns of change in labor force participation emerge when we disaggregate the data by age cohort, marital status, sex, and rural/urban location. Women have decreased their labor force participation more than men, and urban women much more than rural women. Single young people in urban areas have decreased their labor force participation to stay in school to a much greater extent than single young people in rural areas. The urban elderly have decreased their rates of labor force participation while the rural elderly have increased theirs. We also find evidence of the feminization of agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Margaret Maurer-Fazio & James Hughes & Dandan Zhang, 2005. "Economic Reform and Changing Patterns of Labor Force Participation in Urban and Rural China," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp787, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    • Handle: RePEc:wdi:papers:2005-787
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chen, Jian & Fleisher, Belton M., 1996. "Regional Income Inequality and Economic Growth in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 141-164, April.
    2. Fleisher, Belton M. & Chen, Jian, 1997. "The Coast-Noncoast Income Gap, Productivity, and Regional Economic Policy in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 220-236, October.
    3. Loraine West, 1999. "Pension reform in China: Preparing for the future," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 153-183.
    4. Ravallion, Martin & Chen, Shaohua, 2007. "China's (uneven) progress against poverty," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 1-42, January.
    5. Cai Fang, 2004. "The Consistency of China's Statistics on Employment : Stylized Facts and Implications for Public Policies," Chinese Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(5), pages 74-89, September.
    6. Lee, Jongchul, 2000. "Changes in the source of China's regional inequality," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 232-245.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Manoranjan Mohanty, 2015. "Clouds Over Half the Sky," China Report, , vol. 51(1), pages 23-48, February.
    2. Margaret Maurer-Fazio & James Hughes & Dandan Zhang, 2007. "An Ocean formed from one hundred rivers: the effects of ethnicity, gender, marriage, and location on labor force participation in urban China," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3-4), pages 159-187.
    3. Margaret Maurer-Fazio & Rachel Connelly & Lan Chen & Lixin Tang, 2011. "Childcare, Eldercare, and Labor Force Participation of Married Women in Urban China, 1982–2000," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 46(2), pages 261-294.
    4. Nor Amna A’liah Mohd Nor & Rusmawati Said, 2014. "Malaysia's Labour Force Participation in Rural and Urban Areas," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 4(10), pages 1461-1472, October.
    5. repec:ilo:ilowps:487966 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Dasgupta, Sukti. & Matsumoto, Makiko. & Xia, Cuntao., 2015. "Women in the labour market in China," ILO Working Papers 994879663402676, International Labour Organization.
    7. Connelly, Rachel & Maurer-Fazio, Margaret & Zhang, Dandan, 2014. "The Role of Coresidency with Adult Children in the Labor Force Participation Decisions of Older Men and Women in China," IZA Discussion Papers 8068, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Liu, Qian, 2012. "Unemployment and labor force participation in urban China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 18-33.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China; labor force participation; economic reform; occupational attainment; population censuses;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J0 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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