Chinese Labor Market

The GLO Cluster on the Chinese Labor Market studies major Chinese research challenges such as fertility decline, ageing, grantparenting, rural-urban migration, structural changes in the labor force, income inequality, segmentation and labor market discrimination, and labor market policy, among other issues. The program partners in particular with the School of Labor and Human Resources at the Renmin University of China in Beijing and the Institute for Economic and Social Research (IESR) at Jinan University, Guangzhou, through research collaborations and the organization of annual events.

Cluster Lead: Corrado Giulietti (until 2023); Klaus F. Zimmermann (since 2024); Max Tani (since 2025)
Further involved in GLO’s China collaboration activities have been many GLO Fellows, in particular Shuaizhang Feng, Wen Hou, Max Tani, Sen Xue, Liqiu Zhao, Zhong Zhao, and GLO Director Matloob Piracha.

Corrado Giulietti is Professor of Economics and Head of the Department of Economics within the School of Economic, Social and Political Sciences at the University of Southampton. He is also Director of the China Research Centre and collaborates with the ESRC Centre for Population Change at the University of Southampton.

Matloob Piracha, Massimiliano Tani, Klaus F. Zimmermann and Yu Zhang.
“Higher Education Expansion and the Rise of China in Economics Research”.
China Economic Review 74 (2022) 101813. OPEN ACCESS: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043951X22000712

Abstract

China has seen a massive higher education expansion, which the literature has dated to the 1999–2008 period with quantitative and qualitative outcomes. However, the consequences for the publication success of Chinese authors worldwide are not well studied. We review the respective Chinese higher education policies and document the dramatic rise in publication success, with a focus on the field of Economics. A substantial set of regressions and robustness checks confirm the understanding that the higher education expansion has indeed let to a substantial worldwide rise in scientific publications in refereed economics journals fueled by the general incentives of the reform, through research collaborations and other quality improving factors.

Fig. 2. Ratio of Chinese to non-Chinese authored articles in top 5, 10 and 20 Economics journals from 1990 to 2017. Source: Piracha et al. (2022).

2024 activities:

  • 11; 9-10: Beijing, China. 7th Renmin University of China – GLO Annual Conference on  Low Fertility and Population Ageing. Further details & report.
  • 05; 16-17: Guangzhou, Jinan University, China. 7th IESR-GLO joint workshop on Aging Societies: Healthy Aging, Grandparenting, and Parent- Adult Offspring Relationships. Further details & report.
  • Publications include:
    – Shuai Chu, Xiangquan Zeng & Klaus F. Zimmermann (2024), “Parental Gender Stereotypes and Student Wellbeing in China”.  OPEN ACCESS Online First: Kyklos. Online Version 25 October 2024. PDF. Free to access.
    – Shu Cai, Klaus F. Zimmermann (2024). “Social Identity and Labor Market Outcomes of Internal Migrant Workers”. European Economic Review. Volume 163, April 2024, 104676. Prepublication Version (includes Online Appendix). Published Open Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2024.104676

2023 activities:

2022 activities:

  • 12; 1-3: Various China activities were part of the GLO Global Conference, hybrid. Invited and contributed sessions. Includes joint sessions with the Journal of Population Economics about issue 1/2023 of the journal and the presentation of the 2023 Kuznets Prize. Call for papers, reports & videos.
  • 08; 29-30: Guangzhou, Jinan University, China. 5th IESR-GLO joint conference on “Social Policy Under Global Challenges”. Call for papers…. Report including video recording.
  • Publications include:
    Matloob Piracha, Massimiliano Tani, Klaus F. Zimmermann and Yu Zhang (2022). “Higher Education Expansion and the Rise of China in Economics Research”. China Economic Review 74 (2022) 101813. Pre-publication version. Published FREE OPEN ACCESS. Free PDF. 

2021 activities:

  • 12; 12: Beijing; Fourth Renmin University – GLO Conference together with Journal of Population Economics on China Issues. Program & Report.
  • 6; 24-26: Guangzhou, Jinan University, China. Fourth IESR-GLO Joint Conference on “Social Assistance”. Virtual event. MORE INFO. Intermediate Report. Final Report with videos of the three days.

2020 activities:

  • 12; 19: Beijing, China. Third Renmin University – GLO Conference on “Chinese Labor Market Issues”. Program & Registration. Report and video of the event.
  • 6; 12-14: Beijing, China. 2020 International Conference on Global Migration and Talent Mobility organized by CCG with Metropolis China and Metropolis Asia, and supported by GLO. Further info. Cancelled due to Covit-19.
  • 6; 5-7: Guangzhou, Jinan University, China. Third IESR-GLO Joint Conference on “The Economics of Covit-19”. Virtual event. MORE INFO.

2019 activities:

  • 12; 12: Beijing, China. GLO President visiting the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) for collaboration talks. Report.
  • 12; 11: Beijing, China. Peking University, China Center for Agricultural Policy: Seminar speech of GLO President on “Global Labor Challenges & the B&R Initiative”. Report.
  • 12; 10: Beijing, China. Beijing Normal University (BNU): Seminar speech of GLO President on “Economic Preferences Across Generations”. Report.
  • 12; 10: Beijing, China. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences: Seminar speech of GLO President on “Arsenic in Drinking Water: Health Challenges and Responses”. Report.
  • 12; 9-11: Beijing, China. Renmin University of China. Office and research talks with researchers; seminar on December 9 on “Publishing in Top Research Journals”. Report.
  • 12; 7-8: Beijing, China. Renmin University of China. Second Renmin University – GLO conference. Call for Papers. Various Conference Reports.
  • 11; 1-2: Ningbo, China. Annual Conference, Public Lecture of GLO President Klaus F. Zimmermann. At GEP, the Globalisation and Economic Policy Centre at University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Conference Report.
  • 12; 5: Beijing, China. For the Future: International Conference on Vocational Education and Training Development. Klaus F. Zimmermann was the Luncheon Keynote Speaker. Report.
  • 10; 28-30: Shanghai, China. Lixin University; Public Speech of GLO President Klaus F. Zimmermann on October 29. Visit with Lexin University President Oct. 28. Report Public Lecture Oct. 29.
  • 3; 21-22: Guangzhou, China. Jinan University. IESR-GLO Workshop on “Belt and Road” Labor Markets. Organizers: Shuaizhang Feng and Klaus Zimmermann. A focus was China, South Asia and South East Asia. GLO News Report. IESR Report LINK WEBSITE.

2018 activities:

GLO Cluster Lead China Corrado Giulietti (University of Southampten, right) and GLO President Klaus F. Zimmermann.

Ends;