IMF Working Papers

China's Rebalancing and Gender Inequality

By Mariya Brussevich, Era Dabla-Norris, Bin Grace Li

May 11, 2021

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Mariya Brussevich, Era Dabla-Norris, and Bin Grace Li. China's Rebalancing and Gender Inequality, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2021) accessed September 18, 2024

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Summary

This paper examines gender inequality in the context of structural transformation and rebalancing in China. We document declining women's relative wages and labor force participation in China during the last two decades, despite rapid growth and expansion of the service sector. Using household data, we provide evidence consistent with a U-shaped relationship between economic development and women's labor market outcomes. Using a model of structural transformation, we show that labor market barriers for women have increased over time. Model counterfactuals suggest that removing these barriers and increasing service sector productivity can boost both gender equality and economic growth in China.

Subject: Economic sectors, Financial crises, Gender, Gender inequality, Labor, Labor supply, Services sector, Wages, Women

Keywords: Africa, CHIP wage data, Female-to-male wage ratio, Gender earnings gap, Gender inequality, Gender wage gap, Global, Household data, Labor supply, Services sector, Wages, Women

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    27

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2021/138

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA2021138

  • ISBN:

    9781513573779

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941