The evolution of the wage gap of female rural-to-urban migrants in China

Abstract

This thesis uses China’s CHIP data in 2002, 2007 and 2013, and uses quantitative analysis methods such as wage decomposition method and regression method and mathematical statistics. The gender wage gap of rural-to-urban migrants and the wage gap between female rural-to-urban migrants and female urban natives are studied from multiple perspectives (including region, industry, etc.) on the basis of researching the existing literature of wage gap theories and empirical research of the existing wage gaps. In early 1958, the Chinese government promulgated the "Regulations on Household Registration of the People's Republic of China". Since then, a food supply system, an employment system, a housing system, an education system, and a medical system that are matching with this household registration system had been further implemented, and a strict household registration management system had been gradually formed. This system strictly distinguishes urban and rural areas, forming an artificial dual economic system. Discrimination against people with rural Hukou has been formed in cities and towns in China. From the 1980s to the beginning of the 21st century, the policy on population mobility was relaxed. The keynote of the policy was to allow farmers to move across regions and to work in cities. However, these farmers do not have urban Hukou and cannot enjoy the same public services and insurances as the citizens of their inflow areas. As a result, China has produced a new huge group, a group of rural-to-urban migrants. Many theories can be used to analyse the wage gap. These theories include Theory of Human Capital, Compensatory Wage Differential Theory, Labour Market Segmentation Theory, and Discrimination Theory. I research the gender wage gap of rural-to-urban migrants in chapter 2. I found that the gender wage gap for rural-to-urban migrants in China was still relatively high. According to my research, I found that the gender wage gap was 34% in 2002; it dropped to 17% in 2007; and then rose to 28% in 2013. It is higher than the average gender wage gap in China. From the perspective of quantiles, at each wage quantile the gender wage gap decreased first and then increased from 2002 to 2013. The gender wage gap among rural-to-urban migrants is quite large. Structural effect was the main component of the gender wage gap among rural-to-urban migrants. Structural effect includes discrimination. In general, the gender wage gap showed a trend of first decline and then rise over time. The gender wage gap in developed region first decreased and then increased over time. The economic development of developing region lagged behind that of developed region, and the gender wage gap had been rising. In 2002, the gender wage gap in developed region was higher than that in developing region. After 2007, the gender wage gap in developing region surpassed that in developed region, and this was also true at most quantiles. The gender wage gap in industry A, C and D decreased first and then increased; the gender wage gap in industry B increased consistently. The gender wage gap among people whose highest.

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ORCID for Corrado Giulietti: orcid.org/0000-0003-2986-4438

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