{"title":"Impact of maternity leave policy reform on enterprise labor employment: Evidence from China matched employer-employee longitudinal survey data","authors":"Hong Liu , Meng Jiao , Chuliang Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study uses the China Matched Employer-Employee Longitudinal Survey data to evaluate the impact of maternity leave reform on enterprise labor employment. The results show that the reform does not affect overall labor employment but reduces the proportion of female employees, increasing labor costs for firms with female employees who have taken maternity leave. Mechanism analysis indicates that the reform leads to gender discrimination and cost-shifting effects, negatively impacting the formal employment, promotion, and wages of women of childbearing age, while increasing substitute labor costs for firms. Explicitly specifying that maternity leave allowances be paid by the maternity insurance fund helps alleviate these adverse effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 3","pages":"Pages 161-176"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145277815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Changes in labor share of China: A micro-level anatomy","authors":"Junsen Zhang, Qi Yu, Kang Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using comprehensive firm-level databases, we study the micro-basis of different trends in aggregate and individual labor shares in China's manufacturing sector during 1998–2016. We find that (1) redistributing value added towards the bottom of labor share distribution causes the decline of aggregate labor share; (2) the redistribution effect is driven by firms gradually increasing market share and reducing labor share; and (3) state-owned enterprises contribute significantly to the changes in aggregate labor share. The analysis of this paper enhances the understanding of the changes in China's labor share from the perspective of dynamic change of micro-firms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 85-101"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144205582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Age discrimination causes Unemployment: Evidence from the “35-year-Old phenomenon” in China","authors":"Wenlian Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Age discrimination in the labor market is a global issue, and in China, it becomes a pressing concern, particularly in the context of so-called “35-year-old crisis.” Departing from the literature that largely relies on resume experiments to identify age discrimination during hiring, I focus on China's labor market and use the 2015 census data to construct a regression discontinuity design for identifying age discrimination and its causal impact on unemployment. The results show that dismissal rates rise significantly immediately after workers exceed the age of 35, even after controlling for productivity-related factors. This rise is driven by negative age stereotypes held by employers and anchoring biases in their employment decisions, but with notable variations across regions, individuals, and time periods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 147-159"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144653334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Air pollution during pregnancy damages the newborns’ health: Evidence from Wuhan Birth Cohort Studies","authors":"Zhilei Shi , Xiaoqiang Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We examine the causal impact of air pollution during pregnancy on the early health of newborns using daily data from environmental monitoring stations in Wuhan and data from the Wuhan Birth Cohort Studies (WBCS). Results show that air pollution during pregnancy significantly damages the early health of newborns, and this effect intensifies continuously with the increase in air pollution levels. Compared with late pregnancy, air pollution has a greater impact on the newborn in early and mid-pregnancy. The air pollution during pregnancy has a greater impact on children born to women with low socioeconomic status and advanced age. Mechanism analysis suggests that air pollution increases the probability of perinatal complications and reduces the number of prenatal visits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 132-146"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144313334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Inequality of opportunity and fertility intentions","authors":"Bianjing Ma , Jiahao Wu , Yu Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Today's parents prioritize their children's future opportunities and well-being over the costs and benefits of child-rearing. Inequality of opportunity (IO) worsens children's developmental prospects and reduces fertility intentions. Using nationally representative data from China, we show that IO profoundly undermines parents' motivation to have children across social groups. Mechanism analyses show that residents of areas with high IO have less confidence in the future and postpone their first marriages and first children. Moreover, facing IO-induced depreciation of educational attainment, to avoid a decline in educational attainment or status, parents instead increase investment in children's education to improve their skills and quality, thereby suppressing fertility intentions. This study underscores that addressing IO is not merely a matter of equity but a demographic necessity.</div><div>D63 J13 D31.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 102-119"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144212435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Overconfident and underconcerned: Behavioral biases in redistribution attitudes","authors":"Yuyan Wang , Xu Wei , Xiao Xiao , Yi Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.05.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines how overconfidence shapes individuals' preference for redistribution. We contend that overconfidence inflates individuals' income expectations, which reduces the perceived benefits of redistribution for these individuals and thereby weakens their preference for such policies. Using data from the 2014 China Family Panel Studies, we find that overconfident individuals are more confident in their future life and exhibit less concerns for economic inequality, healthcare, and social security issues—key proxies for preference for redistribution. These results are more pronounced among less wealthy individuals. In addition, our results remain unchanged after controlling for individuals' trust in government and risk preference. These findings highlight the role of biased belief in shaping individuals’ attitude toward redistribution, offering new insights for discussions on redistributive policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 120-131"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144221603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Climate finance and the labor income share of enterprises: Evidence from China","authors":"Hong Li , Xiaohui Chen , Yan Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate finance refers to the financing that addresses climate change. Its implementation affects industrial relations, and the labor income share of enterprises. This study conducts theoretical and empirical analyses to explore the impact of climate finance on the labor income share of Chinese A-share listed enterprises. Leveraging panel data spanning from 2008 to 2022 and drawing on strategic choice theory, the research reveals a positive U-shaped relationship between climate finance and enterprises’ labor income share. Mediation analysis further uncovers that climate finance reduces labor income share by increasing debt default risk while raising it through a higher labor-capital ratio. Industry heterogeneity analysis indicates that the negative effect is more pronounced in heavy-pollution industries. As the first investigation of the climate finance-labor income share nexus in China, this study offers crucial insights for policymakers balancing environmental and labor market objectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 23-45"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143783083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The adaptation level and mechanism of grain production to climate change in China","authors":"Liu Dong , Feng Xiaolong , Si Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.03.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The overall adaptation level and mechanisms of grain production to climate change are estimated using national rural fixed observation points data. Adaptive behaviors have alleviated 52.5 %–63.5 % of the adverse impacts of high temperatures, with rice and maize more adaptable than wheat. However, adaptive behavior has not effectively mitigated excessive precipitation impacts. Technological progress, adaptation technology adoption, and input adjustments are key adaptation mechanisms. Future efforts should enhance agricultural technological contributions to comprehensively strengthen the adaptation capacity of grain production to climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 1-22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143704065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Does outward foreign direct investment improve environmental quality in home country?——Evidence from Chinese firms’ water pollution emissions","authors":"Suhua Tian , Qin Xiong","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2024.12.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2024.12.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper empirically examine the causal effect and mechanisms of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) on pollution emissions. Employing the difference-in-differences (DID) alongside various heterogeneity robust estimation methods based on a series of firm-level data, our findings indicate that OFDI significantly reduces firms' chemical oxygen demand (COD) emissions. Moreover, it increases total output while reducing COD emission intensity. The mechanism analysis suggests that firms primarily attain emission reductions through reverse technology spillovers stemming from OFDI in host countries with more stringent environmental regulations. Additionally, such reductions are facilitated by improvements along both the intensive and extensive margins of exports.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 72-83"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144168025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The economic welfare impacts of transnational clan networks: Evidence from transnational clan genealogies","authors":"Fanghao Chen , Yibo Zuo , Denggao Long","doi":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.02.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceqi.2025.02.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Surnames with a higher presence of overseas Chinese in the same region exhibit the following characteristics: (1) better housing conditions, but no significant improvement in educational attainment or labor income; (2) a higher likelihood of economic dependency on other family members; (3) lower labor participation rates, shorter working hours, and a higher propensity for entrepreneurship. On the one hand, the economic support from overseas relatives improves the living conditions of local members but crowds out some of their investment in human capital and labor participation. On the other hand, the transnational clan networks provide access to overseas market information and financial support, facilitating engagement in export-oriented businesses and promoting entrepreneurial activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100238,"journal":{"name":"China Economic Quarterly International","volume":"5 1","pages":"Pages 46-56"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143791150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}