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China’s mobility barriers and employment allocations

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  • L Rachel Ngai

    (Reader in Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science
    Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
    Institute for Emerging Market Studies, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

  • Christopher A Pissarides

    (London School of Economics
    Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
    Institute for Emerging Market Studies, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

  • Jin Wang

    (Division of Social Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
    Institute for Emerging Market Studies, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

China’s hukou system imposes two main barriers to population movements. Agricultural workers get land to cultivate but are unable to trade it in a frictionless market. Social transfers (education, health, etc.) are conditional on holding a local hukou. We show that the land policy leads to over-employment in agriculture and it is the more important barrier to industrialization. Effective land tenure guarantees and a perfect competitive rental market would correct this inefficiency. The local restrictions on social transfers favour rural enterprises over urban employment with a relatively smaller impact on industrialization.

Suggested Citation

  • L Rachel Ngai & Christopher A Pissarides & Jin Wang, 2017. "China’s mobility barriers and employment allocations," HKUST IEMS Working Paper Series 2017-44, HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies, revised Dec 2017.
    • Handle: RePEc:hku:wpaper:201744
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Bairoliya, Neha & Miller, Ray, 2021. "Social insurance, demographics, and rural-urban migration in China," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. Cui, Kun & Li, Bo & Wang, Hanyang, 2021. "Quantitative analysis of health insurance reform in China: Pure consolidation or universal health insurance?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
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    6. Shawn Xiaoguang Chen & Yudan Cheng & Liutang Gong & Wenjia Tian, 2023. "A Big Push of Panda from the Ground: Land Subsidy and Structural Transformation in China," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 23-09, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    7. Waxman, Andrew & Liang, Yuanning & Li, Shanjun & Barwick, Panle Jia & Zhao, Meng, 2020. "Tightening belts to buy a home: Consumption responses to rising housing prices in urban China," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    8. Holger Sieg & Chamna Yoon & Jipeng Zhang, 2023. "The Impact Of Local Fiscal And Migration Policies On Human Capital Accumulation And Inequality In China," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 64(1), pages 57-93, February.
    9. Mark Colas & Suqin Ge, 2019. "Transformations in China’s Internal Labor Migration and Hukou System," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 296-331, September.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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