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A comparison and decomposition of reform‐era labor force participation rates of China's ethnic minorities and Han majority

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  • Margaret Maurer‐Fazio
  • James W. Hughes
  • Dandan Zhang

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to examine observed differences in China's ethnic majority and minority patterns of labor force participation and to decompose these differences into treatment and endowment effects. Design/methodology/approach - Data from the three most recent population censuses of China are employed to explore differences in the labor force participation rates of a number of China's important ethnic groups. Gender‐separated urban labor force participation rates are estimated using logit regressions, controlling for educational attainment, marital status, pre‐school and school‐age children, household size, age, and measures of local economic conditions. The focus is on the experience of six minority groups (Hui, Koreans, Manchu, Mongolians, Uygurs, and Zhuang) in comparison to the majority Han. The technique developed by Borooah and Iyer is adopted to decompose the differences in labor force participation rates between pairs of ethnic groups into treatment and endowment effects. Findings - Sizeable differences are found between the labor force participation rates of prime‐age urban women of particular ethnic groups and the majority Han. Men's participation rates are very high (above 95 percent) and exhibit little difference between Han and ethnic minorities. For almost all pairwise comparisons between Han and ethnic women, it is found that differences in coefficients account for more than 100 percent of the Han‐ethnic difference in labor force participation. Differences in endowments often have substantial effects in reducing this positive Han margin in labor force participation. Roughly speaking, treatment of women's characteristics, whether in the market or socially, tend to increase the Han advantage in labor force participation. The levels of these characteristics on average tend to reduce this Han advantage. Research limitations/implications - The paper analyses only one aspect of the economic status of China's ethnic minorities – labor force participation. It would be useful also to examine income, educational attainment, occupational attainment, and unemployment. Originality/value - This paper contributes to and expands the scant literature on ethnicity in China's economic transition.

Suggested Citation

  • Margaret Maurer‐Fazio & James W. Hughes & Dandan Zhang, 2010. "A comparison and decomposition of reform‐era labor force participation rates of China's ethnic minorities and Han majority," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(2), pages 138-162, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijmpps:v:31:y:2010:i:2:p:138-162
    DOI: 10.1108/01437721011042241
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gustafsson, Bjorn & Shi, Li, 2003. "The Ethnic Minority-Majority Income Gap in Rural China during Transition," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 51(4), pages 805-822, July.
    2. Maurer-Fazio, Margaret, 1999. "Earnings and education in China's transition to a market economy Survey evidence from 1989 and 1992," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 17-40.
    3. Zhang, Junsen & Zhao, Yaohui & Park, Albert & Song, Xiaoqing, 2005. "Economic returns to schooling in urban China, 1988 to 2001," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 730-752, December.
    4. Emily Hannum & Yu Xie, 1998. "Ethnic stratification in Northwest China: Occupational differences between Han Chinese and national minorities in Xinjiang, 1982–1990," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 35(3), pages 323-333, August.
    5. Borooah, Vani & Iyer, Sriya, 2005. "The Decomposition of Inter-Group Differences in a Logit Model: Extending the Oaxaca-Blinder Approach with an Application to School Enrolment in India," MPRA Paper 19418, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. 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.
    7. Gustafsson, Björn Anders & Sai, Ding, 2008. "Temporary and Persistent Poverty among Ethnic Minorities and the Majority in Rural China," IZA Discussion Papers 3791, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Li Shi & Ding Sai, 2013. "An Empirical Analysis of Income Inequality between a Minority and the Majority in Urban China: The Case of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 40(3), pages 341-355, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Hong & Zhao, Zhong, 2014. "Parental job loss and children's health: Ten years after the massive layoff of the SOEs' workers in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 303-319.
    2. Gustafsson, Björn Anders & Sai, Ding, 2014. "Why Is There No Income Gap Between the Hui Muslim Minority and the Han Majority in Rural Ningxia, China?," IZA Discussion Papers 7970, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Howell, Anthony, 2020. "Minimum wage impacts on Han-minority Workers’ wage distribution and inequality in urban china," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    4. Han Dongcheng & Kong Fanbo & Wang Zixun, 2021. "Gender identity and relative income within household: Evidence from China," Papers 2110.08723, arXiv.org.
    5. 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.
    6. Yang, Song & Ding, Shiqing & D’Alessandro, Steven, 2018. "Are all Chinese shoppers the same? Evidence of differences in values, decision making and shopping motivations between the Han majority and other minorities in China," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 24-34.
    7. Gustafsson, Björn Anders & Yang, Xiuna, 2015. "Are China's Ethnic Minorities Less Likely to Move?," IZA Discussion Papers 9018, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Margaret Maurer-Fazio, 2012. "Ethnic discrimination in China's internet job board labor market," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 1(1), pages 1-24, December.
    9. Mishra, Vinod & Smyth, Russell, 2013. "Economic returns to schooling for China's Korean minority," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 89-102.
    10. 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).
    11. Björn Gustafsson & Xiuna Yang, 2017. "Earnings among nine ethnic minorities and the Han majority in China's cities," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 525-546, July.
    12. Gustafsson, Björn Anders & Yang, Xiuna, 2016. "Earnings among Nine Ethnic Minorities and the Han Majority in China's Cities," IZA Discussion Papers 10230, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Margaret Maurer-Fazio & Sili Wang, 2018. "Does marital status affect how firms interpret job applicants’ un/employment histories?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 39(4), pages 567-580, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ethnic minorities; Labour; Economic reform; Employee participation; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O5 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies
    • P2 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies

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