Labor Market Institutions in China

This book examines labor market policy and institutional reforms and their impact on outcomes in the Chinese labor market, utilizing both institutional and empirical study perspectives. It furnishes readers with academic evidence essential for comprehending the transformation of labor policies and institutions within the Chinese context—an emerging market economy housing one of the largest workforces globally. The main content of this book is divided into two parts: (i) Social institutions and labor market policies, encompassing topics such as trade unions and union wage premiums, minimum wage regulations and wage distributions, labor contracts, employment security and the high education expansion policy. (ii) Wage and employment institutions in the workplace, including areas such as seniority wages, mandatory retirement systems, the wage-experience profile, the dual labor market phenomenon, discrimination against women and minority ethnic workers, work hours, work-family conflict, job satisfaction, and the influences of Communist Party of China membership on managerial promotions. This book presents academic evidence on these issues, grounded in institutional transition background, economic theories, and empirical studies. It draws upon various Chinese nationwide representative survey datasets. This book is highly recommended for readers interested in institutional transitions, seeking up-to-date and in-depth empirical studies on the associations between labor policies/institutions and labor market outcomes. It particularly appeals to those with an interest in the Chinese economy, labor policymakers, scholars with a background in econometric analysis, and managers in companies.