FIELDS OF INTERESTS
Primary: Labor Economics, Family Economics, Population Economics Secondary: Health Economics, Chinese Economy
Primary: Labor Economics, Family Economics, Population Economics Secondary: Health Economics, Chinese Economy
PAPERS
“Skill-biased Technological Change, Male Wage Inequality and Female Marital Decision”
This paper investigates the causal impact of male wage inequality on female propensity to marry. Male wage inequality is measured by the wage gap between high educated men (with some college education or higher) and low educated men (with high school degree or lower education) and the skill-biased technological change is used as an instrument for male wage inequality. Based on data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. censuses as well as the 2007 American Community Survey, I find that an increase in the wage gap between high and low educated men decreases the marriage propensity among low educated women and it increases the marriage propensity among high educated women. Same results are found in white or non- white women samples.
“Male Income Inequality and Female Marital Decisions in China”, with Yi Liu, Yaqin Su
This paper examines whether rising income inequality affects marriage formation in China. Evidence from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) indicates that Chinese women aged 20 to 34 are more likely to be married in a city or county with higher male income inequality. This result is conditional on the woman’s personal characteristics and marriage market features such as sex ratio. This effect is stronger for rural women, elder women and lower educated women than for urban women, younger women and higher educated women respectively. It is robust under different measurements and specifications. Propensity to marry for women also increases as overall income inequality in the city or county increases. Similar results are also found for men. It could be because that a higher income inequality increases the probability to meet partners with income exceeding the woman’s expected standard of future husband in her marital search and that higher income inequality raises income risk and uncertainty of the society, which makes marriage with social security function in China more attractive to young Chinese.
Xue Li, “Determinants of Privatization in China: The Role of the Presence of Foreign Firms”, with Yi Liu, and Sajal Lahiri (Under review)
This paper investigates the role of the presence of foreign firms in a sector in influencing the privatization policy for domestic firms in that sector in China. We present several variables to proxy for such presence. Using the Enterprise Surveys by the World Bank in 2005 of more than 12,000 Chinese firms located over 100 cities, we find that generally the presence of foreign firms increases the extent of private ownership of domestic firms in that sector. However, inefficient firms (relative to the foreign ones) are less likely to be privatized. Additionally, we test for possible non-linearity and endogeneity in the relationship.
WORK IN PROGRESS
"The Dynamic Cadre Premiums and Marrying Cadre Families" with Weiguang Deng and Junsen Zhang
“Determinants of Destination Choice: An Examination of Inter-vs Intra- Provincal Rural-Urban Migrants in China” with Yaqin Su
“Do More Children Bring Better Health? Evidence from China”, with Haixiang Xiao
“Skill-biased Technological Change, Male Wage Inequality and Female Marital Decision”
This paper investigates the causal impact of male wage inequality on female propensity to marry. Male wage inequality is measured by the wage gap between high educated men (with some college education or higher) and low educated men (with high school degree or lower education) and the skill-biased technological change is used as an instrument for male wage inequality. Based on data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. censuses as well as the 2007 American Community Survey, I find that an increase in the wage gap between high and low educated men decreases the marriage propensity among low educated women and it increases the marriage propensity among high educated women. Same results are found in white or non- white women samples.
“Male Income Inequality and Female Marital Decisions in China”, with Yi Liu, Yaqin Su
This paper examines whether rising income inequality affects marriage formation in China. Evidence from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) indicates that Chinese women aged 20 to 34 are more likely to be married in a city or county with higher male income inequality. This result is conditional on the woman’s personal characteristics and marriage market features such as sex ratio. This effect is stronger for rural women, elder women and lower educated women than for urban women, younger women and higher educated women respectively. It is robust under different measurements and specifications. Propensity to marry for women also increases as overall income inequality in the city or county increases. Similar results are also found for men. It could be because that a higher income inequality increases the probability to meet partners with income exceeding the woman’s expected standard of future husband in her marital search and that higher income inequality raises income risk and uncertainty of the society, which makes marriage with social security function in China more attractive to young Chinese.
Xue Li, “Determinants of Privatization in China: The Role of the Presence of Foreign Firms”, with Yi Liu, and Sajal Lahiri (Under review)
This paper investigates the role of the presence of foreign firms in a sector in influencing the privatization policy for domestic firms in that sector in China. We present several variables to proxy for such presence. Using the Enterprise Surveys by the World Bank in 2005 of more than 12,000 Chinese firms located over 100 cities, we find that generally the presence of foreign firms increases the extent of private ownership of domestic firms in that sector. However, inefficient firms (relative to the foreign ones) are less likely to be privatized. Additionally, we test for possible non-linearity and endogeneity in the relationship.
WORK IN PROGRESS
"The Dynamic Cadre Premiums and Marrying Cadre Families" with Weiguang Deng and Junsen Zhang
“Determinants of Destination Choice: An Examination of Inter-vs Intra- Provincal Rural-Urban Migrants in China” with Yaqin Su
“Do More Children Bring Better Health? Evidence from China”, with Haixiang Xiao