Fertility discrimination in the Chinese labor market: Evidence from a correspondence study and an employer survey

Abstract

This paper examines fertility discrimination in the Chinese labor market following the implementation of the three-child policy and extended parental leave provisions. We conducted a correspondence study and submitted 18,728 resumes to 4,682 entry-level job postings on a prominent online job board, with randomized applicant gender, marital, and parental status. Our results show that single female applicants are more likely to receive callbacks than married females, who have a higher probability of childbearing. Conversely, male applicants do not experience a similar gap based on their marital or parental status. A complementary survey of 745 hiring managers aligns with these results, with a pronounced disfavor towards married women without children, largely due to their preference for parental status and concerns about maternity leave. The survey further suggests that hiring preferences may be influenced by the managers’ own demographic and personal traits, such as gender, parental status, and time and risk preferences.