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Carl Lin

Bucknell University, Economics, Faculty Member

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María-Antonia Remenyi

Morley Gunderson

University of Toronto

Anita Alves Pena

Colorado State University

Istanbul University

Nursena Aksunger

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

J. Rodrigo Fuentes

Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

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Papers by Carl Lin

The impact of minimum wages on wages, wage spillovers, and employment in China: Evidence from longitudinal individual‐level data

Review of Development Economics, 2020

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

of LaborLess Myth, More Measurement: Decomposing Excess Returns from the 1989 Minimum Wage Hike

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published i... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to enco...

Decomposing Excess Returns in Stochastic Linear Models

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2011

Decomposing Excess Returns in Stochastic Linear Models We present a theorem helpful in estimating... more Decomposing Excess Returns in Stochastic Linear Models We present a theorem helpful in estimating the mean and variance of a linear function with arbitrary multivariate randomness in its coefficients and variables. We derive a generalized decomposition result from two random linear functions in which the result can be applied to most models using event study analysis. Taking the 1989 minimum wage hike as an example, we found that the apparent lack of an effect is a consequence of two offsetting forces: 1) a negative effect arising from firm-specific traits and 2) a positive effect arising from market performance. In sum, we bring to the analysis a method that helps provide additional insights and can be applied to much of the work using event study.

Give Me Your Wired and Your Highly Skilled: Measuring the Impact of Immigration Policy on Employers and Shareholders

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2011

The paper links finance theory to labor economics and political economy in the context of migrati... more The paper links finance theory to labor economics and political economy in the context of migration and immigration policy. Most research treating the impact of immigration has focused on the consequences for employees as measured by wages, earnings, and employment. Less is known about the impact on employers. We lack answers to basic questions concerning the quantitative impact of immigrants on employer profit, and which employers are most likely to gain (suffer) increased (reduced) profits as a result of immigration. Using event study analysis, I measure the impact of immigration policy on the profit of employers and shareholders, particularly in those industries with high needs for skilled immigrants. The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act (ACWIA) of 1998 nearly doubled the available number of H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers in FY 1999. It was the first time that the U.S. government raised the annual cap of H-1B visa since 1990. I focus on this bill and analyze whether and by how much its passage increased shareholders' profit. The empirical results show that employers and shareholders in the top H-1B visa user industries enjoyed significant and positive returns with the passage of the ACWIA of 1998. Shareholders in high-tech industries (the top users of H-1B visa, 80% of total) such as "Computers and related equipment", and "Computer and data processing services" gained, respectively, an average 21.54% (15.88 if weighted) and 22.77% (18.11 if weighted) in cumulative excess returns in the month after the Act was passed, while industries with little need for H-1B visas experienced no significant changes in cumulative excess returns. Robustness testing including international factor comparisons, semiparametric modeling and a sample-split Chow structural break test support the results.

How Has the Two-Day Weekend Policy Affected Labour Supply and Household Work in China?

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

Less Myth, More Measurement: Decomposing Excess Returns from the 1989 Minimum Wage Hike

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

In the book Myth and Measurement, Card and Krueger (1995) examine the economic impact of the 1989... more In the book Myth and Measurement, Card and Krueger (1995) examine the economic impact of the 1989 minimum wage hike on the welfare of 110 firms which employ a disproportionate number of minimum-wage workers. Their results show mixed evidence that excess returns associated with news about the 1989 minimum-wage legislation. This paper reexamines this question by decomposing excess returns. Our simple and intuitive approach attributes excess returns to either differences in market performances (economy-wide factors) or firmspecific traits (individualistic factors). We likewise show that, generally, minimum wage legislation had little or no effect on employer wealth. However, by decomposing total excess returns, we find that the apparent lack of an effect is a consequence of two offsetting forces: (1) a negative effect arising from firm-specific traits (adverse information on minimum-wage worker employers) and (2) a positive effect arising from market performance. In other words, we show that while the aggregate effect of the 1989 minimum wage hike was neutral, there was a significant negative impact on firms that was neutralized by positive market performance.

Son Preference and Human Capital Investment among China’s Rural-urban Migrant Households

by Chunbing Xing and Carl Lin

The Journal of Development Studies, 2021

Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch ge... more Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your personal and scholarly purposes. You are not to copy documents for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence.

Parental Migration Decisions and Child Health Outcomes: Evidence from China

Research in Labor Economics, 2019

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

The Effects of the Minimum Wage on Earnings Inequality: Evidence from China

Research in Labor Economics, 2016

The Effects of the Minimum Wage on Earnings Inequality: Evidence from China The minimum wage has ... more The Effects of the Minimum Wage on Earnings Inequality: Evidence from China The minimum wage has been regarded as an important element of public policy for reducing poverty and inequality. Increasing the minimum wage is supposed to raise earnings for millions of low-wage workers and therefore lower earnings inequality. However, there is no consensus in the existing literature from industrialized countries regarding whether increasing the minimum wage has helped lower earnings inequality. China has recently exhibited rapid economic growth and widening earnings inequality. Since China promulgated new minimum wage regulations in 2004, the magnitude and frequency of changes in the minimum wage have been substantial, both over time and across jurisdictions. The growing importance of research on the relationship between the minimum wage and earnings inequality and its controversial nature have sparked heated debate in China, highlighting the importance of rigorous research to inform evidence-based policy making. We investigate the contribution of the minimum wage to the well-documented rise in earnings inequality in China over the period from 2004 to 2009 by using city-level minimum wage panel data and a representative Chinese household survey, and we find that increasing the minimum wage reduces inequality-by decreasing the earnings gap between the median and the bottom decile-over the analysis period.

The use and impact of job search procedures by migrant workers in China

China Economic Review, 2016

The Use and Impact of Job Search Procedures by Migrant Workers in China * Job search procedures a... more The Use and Impact of Job Search Procedures by Migrant Workers in China * Job search procedures are a form of human capital investment in that they involve current investments to enhance future returns, analogous to human capital investments in areas such as education, training and mobility that yield future returns. While the theoretical and empirical literature on job search is extensive, most of it involves developed countries. There is less on developing countries and very little on China involving migrant workers in spite of their growing practical and policy importance and the fact that they are constantly engaging in job search. This paper examines the use and impact of job search procedures used by migrant workers in China by taking advantage of a rich data set on migrant workers that has information on their job search procedure as well as a wide array of other personal and human capital characteristics. Our OLS estimates indicate that there is no effect on earnings of using informal versus formal job search procedures for migrant workers in China. However, our IV results suggest that the OLS estimates are subject to severe selection bias from the fact that the choice of job search procedure is endogenous, associated with unobservable factors that affect the choice of informal versus formal procedures and that affect the earnings outcome. Our three different IV estimates designed to deal with this bias indicate that informal procedures (various aspects of family and friends) are associated with earnings that are 33 to 43 percent below the uses of more formal procedures. The decomposition results indicate that the most important variable contributing to pay advantage of those who use formal as opposed to informal procedures is education. In sum, our results suggest that policies to encourage or facilitate migrant workers using more formal job search procedures and reducing barriers that compel them to rely on informal procedures can yield better job matches with higher earnings.

Minimum wages and employment in China

IZA Journal of Labor Policy, 2015

Since China promulgated new minimum wage regulations in 2004, the frequency and magnitude of chan... more Since China promulgated new minimum wage regulations in 2004, the frequency and magnitude of changes in minimum wages have been substantial. This paper uses county-level minimum wage data combined with urban household survey micro-dataset from 16 representative provinces as a merged county-level panel to estimate the employment effects of minimum wage changes in China over the 2002–2009 period. In contrast to the mixed results reported by previous studies using provincial-level data, we present evidence that minimum wage changes led to significant adverse effects on employment in the Eastern and Central regions of China, and resulted in disemployment for females, young adults, and low-skilled workers.JEL classifications:J38

How Do Immigrants from Taiwan Fare in the U.S. Labor Market?

The Singapore Economic Review, 2016

This paper presents evidence that since 1980, relative to native-born Americans and other immigra... more This paper presents evidence that since 1980, relative to native-born Americans and other immigrants, the earnings of Taiwanese immigrants have grown rapidly as they assimilate into the U.S. economy. Consistent with the existing U.S. evidence, I show that most of the immigrant–native earnings gaps can be explained by endowments, and the importance of endowments continues to increase. The estimates indicate that the improved endowments from education and U.S. experience, along with rising returns to both factors, largely explain Taiwanese immigrants’ economic assimilation experience. I show that more recently arrival cohorts of Taiwanese immigrants have earned more than the older ones since 1980.

Earnings Gap, Cohort Effect and Economic Assimilation of Immigrants from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in the United States

Review of International Economics, 2013

Using 1990, 2000 censuses and a 2010 survey, I examine the economic performance of ethnically Chi... more Using 1990, 2000 censuses and a 2010 survey, I examine the economic performance of ethnically Chinese immigrants from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan (CHT) in the U.S. labor market. Since 1990, relative wages of CHT migrants have been escalating in contrast to other immigrants. I show these widening gaps are largely explained by individual's endowments, mostly education. Rising U.S.-earned degrees by CHT migrants can account for this relatively successful economic assimilation. Cohort analysis shows that the economic performance of CHT migrants admitted to the U.S. has been improving, even allowing for the effect of aging.

Two Alternative Binomial Option Pricing Model Approaches to Derive Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model

Handbook of Quantitative Finance and Risk Management, 2010

In this chapter, we review two famous models on binomial option pricing, Rendleman and Barter (RB... more In this chapter, we review two famous models on binomial option pricing, Rendleman and Barter (RB 1979) and Cox et al. (CRR 1979). We show that the limiting results of the two models both lead to the celebrated Black-Scholes formula. From our detailed derivations, CRR is easy to follow if one has the advanced level knowledge in probability theory but

A detailed decomposition of synthetic cohort analysis

Economics Letters, 2015

A Detailed Decomposition of Synthetic Cohort Analysis * Social scientists are often interested in... more A Detailed Decomposition of Synthetic Cohort Analysis * Social scientists are often interested in assessing relative changes between two groups over time, for example, the convergence of black-white wages from 1940 to 1990. In such situations, we need a control group for both treatment groups to remove biases resulting from time trends and unobserved factors. Smith and Welch (1989) propose a decomposition technique that handles this situation using a difference-indifferences like method, attributing relative changes to four different effects. However, a method for specifying the contribution of every variable in the equation, referred to as the detailed decomposition, has not been developed. We present a detailed decomposition and provide a Stata estimator for practitioners to implement our method. Using the convergence of black-white wage between 1960 and 1970 as an example, our detailed decomposition result shows that education accounts for 73 percent of the value of change in characteristics while experience explains only 3 percent.

Decomposing abnormal returns in stochastic linear models

Economics Letters, 2013

This paper presents a method helpful in analyzing the sources of return in an event study. A gene... more This paper presents a method helpful in analyzing the sources of return in an event study. A generalized decomposition result derived from the differential between two random linear functions attributes the effect of events or regulations on the value of firms to differences in economy-wide and individualistic factors. In aggregate decomposition, the abnormal return in the existing literature is equivalent to the coefficient effects. As an example, I take the market model in Card and Krueger (1995) showing that this approach helps provide additional insights.

Social Disadvantage and Children’s Nutritional Status in Rural-Urban Migrant Households

Journal of Contemporary China, 2019

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

Social Disadvantage and Children's Nutritional Status in Rural-Urban Migrant Households

by Yana van der Meulen Rodgers and Carl Lin

Journal of Contemporary China, 2019

This article uses an innovative rural-urban migrant survey to assess how social disadvantage is a... more This article uses an innovative rural-urban migrant survey to assess how social disadvantage is associated with children's nutritional status in migrant households. Measures of social disadvantage are based on China's hukou system of household registration (designed to limit domestic migration flows by denying urban public services to migrants with rural registrations) and on son preference (stemming in part from the strict one-child policy). Regression results indicate that a rural hukou status is negatively associated with children's weight-forage Zscores, even after controlling for household characteristics, and girl children exhibit poorer nutritional status than boys. Results from a quantile decomposition procedure confirm that leftbehind children have lower nutritional scores than children who migrate with their parents, and the gaps are biggest at lower portions of the distribution.

Parental Migration Decisions and Child Health Outcomes: Evidence from China

by Yana van der Meulen Rodgers and Carl Lin

Research in Labor Economics, 2019

This study uses migrant household survey data from 2008 and 2009 to examine how parental migratio... more This study uses migrant household survey data from 2008 and 2009 to examine how parental migration decisions are associated with the nutritional status of children in rural and urban China. Results from instrumental variables regressions show a substantial adverse effect of children’s exposure to parental migration on height-for-age Z-scores of left-behind children relative to children who migrate with their parents. Additional results from a standard Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, a quantile decomposition, and a counterfactual distribution analysis all confirm that children who are left behind in rural villages – usually because of the oppressive hukou system – have poorer nutritional status than children who migrate with their parents, and the gaps are biggest at lower portions of the distribution.

The impact of minimum wages on wages, wage spillovers, and employment in China: Evidence from longitudinal individual‐level data

Review of Development Economics, 2020

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

of LaborLess Myth, More Measurement: Decomposing Excess Returns from the 1989 Minimum Wage Hike

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published i... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to enco...

Decomposing Excess Returns in Stochastic Linear Models

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2011

Decomposing Excess Returns in Stochastic Linear Models We present a theorem helpful in estimating... more Decomposing Excess Returns in Stochastic Linear Models We present a theorem helpful in estimating the mean and variance of a linear function with arbitrary multivariate randomness in its coefficients and variables. We derive a generalized decomposition result from two random linear functions in which the result can be applied to most models using event study analysis. Taking the 1989 minimum wage hike as an example, we found that the apparent lack of an effect is a consequence of two offsetting forces: 1) a negative effect arising from firm-specific traits and 2) a positive effect arising from market performance. In sum, we bring to the analysis a method that helps provide additional insights and can be applied to much of the work using event study.

Give Me Your Wired and Your Highly Skilled: Measuring the Impact of Immigration Policy on Employers and Shareholders

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2011

The paper links finance theory to labor economics and political economy in the context of migrati... more The paper links finance theory to labor economics and political economy in the context of migration and immigration policy. Most research treating the impact of immigration has focused on the consequences for employees as measured by wages, earnings, and employment. Less is known about the impact on employers. We lack answers to basic questions concerning the quantitative impact of immigrants on employer profit, and which employers are most likely to gain (suffer) increased (reduced) profits as a result of immigration. Using event study analysis, I measure the impact of immigration policy on the profit of employers and shareholders, particularly in those industries with high needs for skilled immigrants. The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act (ACWIA) of 1998 nearly doubled the available number of H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers in FY 1999. It was the first time that the U.S. government raised the annual cap of H-1B visa since 1990. I focus on this bill and analyze whether and by how much its passage increased shareholders' profit. The empirical results show that employers and shareholders in the top H-1B visa user industries enjoyed significant and positive returns with the passage of the ACWIA of 1998. Shareholders in high-tech industries (the top users of H-1B visa, 80% of total) such as "Computers and related equipment", and "Computer and data processing services" gained, respectively, an average 21.54% (15.88 if weighted) and 22.77% (18.11 if weighted) in cumulative excess returns in the month after the Act was passed, while industries with little need for H-1B visas experienced no significant changes in cumulative excess returns. Robustness testing including international factor comparisons, semiparametric modeling and a sample-split Chow structural break test support the results.

How Has the Two-Day Weekend Policy Affected Labour Supply and Household Work in China?

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

Less Myth, More Measurement: Decomposing Excess Returns from the 1989 Minimum Wage Hike

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

In the book Myth and Measurement, Card and Krueger (1995) examine the economic impact of the 1989... more In the book Myth and Measurement, Card and Krueger (1995) examine the economic impact of the 1989 minimum wage hike on the welfare of 110 firms which employ a disproportionate number of minimum-wage workers. Their results show mixed evidence that excess returns associated with news about the 1989 minimum-wage legislation. This paper reexamines this question by decomposing excess returns. Our simple and intuitive approach attributes excess returns to either differences in market performances (economy-wide factors) or firmspecific traits (individualistic factors). We likewise show that, generally, minimum wage legislation had little or no effect on employer wealth. However, by decomposing total excess returns, we find that the apparent lack of an effect is a consequence of two offsetting forces: (1) a negative effect arising from firm-specific traits (adverse information on minimum-wage worker employers) and (2) a positive effect arising from market performance. In other words, we show that while the aggregate effect of the 1989 minimum wage hike was neutral, there was a significant negative impact on firms that was neutralized by positive market performance.

Son Preference and Human Capital Investment among China’s Rural-urban Migrant Households

by Chunbing Xing and Carl Lin

The Journal of Development Studies, 2021

Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch ge... more Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your personal and scholarly purposes. You are not to copy documents for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence.

Parental Migration Decisions and Child Health Outcomes: Evidence from China

Research in Labor Economics, 2019

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

The Effects of the Minimum Wage on Earnings Inequality: Evidence from China

Research in Labor Economics, 2016

The Effects of the Minimum Wage on Earnings Inequality: Evidence from China The minimum wage has ... more The Effects of the Minimum Wage on Earnings Inequality: Evidence from China The minimum wage has been regarded as an important element of public policy for reducing poverty and inequality. Increasing the minimum wage is supposed to raise earnings for millions of low-wage workers and therefore lower earnings inequality. However, there is no consensus in the existing literature from industrialized countries regarding whether increasing the minimum wage has helped lower earnings inequality. China has recently exhibited rapid economic growth and widening earnings inequality. Since China promulgated new minimum wage regulations in 2004, the magnitude and frequency of changes in the minimum wage have been substantial, both over time and across jurisdictions. The growing importance of research on the relationship between the minimum wage and earnings inequality and its controversial nature have sparked heated debate in China, highlighting the importance of rigorous research to inform evidence-based policy making. We investigate the contribution of the minimum wage to the well-documented rise in earnings inequality in China over the period from 2004 to 2009 by using city-level minimum wage panel data and a representative Chinese household survey, and we find that increasing the minimum wage reduces inequality-by decreasing the earnings gap between the median and the bottom decile-over the analysis period.

The use and impact of job search procedures by migrant workers in China

China Economic Review, 2016

The Use and Impact of Job Search Procedures by Migrant Workers in China * Job search procedures a... more The Use and Impact of Job Search Procedures by Migrant Workers in China * Job search procedures are a form of human capital investment in that they involve current investments to enhance future returns, analogous to human capital investments in areas such as education, training and mobility that yield future returns. While the theoretical and empirical literature on job search is extensive, most of it involves developed countries. There is less on developing countries and very little on China involving migrant workers in spite of their growing practical and policy importance and the fact that they are constantly engaging in job search. This paper examines the use and impact of job search procedures used by migrant workers in China by taking advantage of a rich data set on migrant workers that has information on their job search procedure as well as a wide array of other personal and human capital characteristics. Our OLS estimates indicate that there is no effect on earnings of using informal versus formal job search procedures for migrant workers in China. However, our IV results suggest that the OLS estimates are subject to severe selection bias from the fact that the choice of job search procedure is endogenous, associated with unobservable factors that affect the choice of informal versus formal procedures and that affect the earnings outcome. Our three different IV estimates designed to deal with this bias indicate that informal procedures (various aspects of family and friends) are associated with earnings that are 33 to 43 percent below the uses of more formal procedures. The decomposition results indicate that the most important variable contributing to pay advantage of those who use formal as opposed to informal procedures is education. In sum, our results suggest that policies to encourage or facilitate migrant workers using more formal job search procedures and reducing barriers that compel them to rely on informal procedures can yield better job matches with higher earnings.

Minimum wages and employment in China

IZA Journal of Labor Policy, 2015

Since China promulgated new minimum wage regulations in 2004, the frequency and magnitude of chan... more Since China promulgated new minimum wage regulations in 2004, the frequency and magnitude of changes in minimum wages have been substantial. This paper uses county-level minimum wage data combined with urban household survey micro-dataset from 16 representative provinces as a merged county-level panel to estimate the employment effects of minimum wage changes in China over the 2002–2009 period. In contrast to the mixed results reported by previous studies using provincial-level data, we present evidence that minimum wage changes led to significant adverse effects on employment in the Eastern and Central regions of China, and resulted in disemployment for females, young adults, and low-skilled workers.JEL classifications:J38

How Do Immigrants from Taiwan Fare in the U.S. Labor Market?

The Singapore Economic Review, 2016

This paper presents evidence that since 1980, relative to native-born Americans and other immigra... more This paper presents evidence that since 1980, relative to native-born Americans and other immigrants, the earnings of Taiwanese immigrants have grown rapidly as they assimilate into the U.S. economy. Consistent with the existing U.S. evidence, I show that most of the immigrant–native earnings gaps can be explained by endowments, and the importance of endowments continues to increase. The estimates indicate that the improved endowments from education and U.S. experience, along with rising returns to both factors, largely explain Taiwanese immigrants’ economic assimilation experience. I show that more recently arrival cohorts of Taiwanese immigrants have earned more than the older ones since 1980.

Earnings Gap, Cohort Effect and Economic Assimilation of Immigrants from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in the United States

Review of International Economics, 2013

Using 1990, 2000 censuses and a 2010 survey, I examine the economic performance of ethnically Chi... more Using 1990, 2000 censuses and a 2010 survey, I examine the economic performance of ethnically Chinese immigrants from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan (CHT) in the U.S. labor market. Since 1990, relative wages of CHT migrants have been escalating in contrast to other immigrants. I show these widening gaps are largely explained by individual's endowments, mostly education. Rising U.S.-earned degrees by CHT migrants can account for this relatively successful economic assimilation. Cohort analysis shows that the economic performance of CHT migrants admitted to the U.S. has been improving, even allowing for the effect of aging.

Two Alternative Binomial Option Pricing Model Approaches to Derive Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model

Handbook of Quantitative Finance and Risk Management, 2010

In this chapter, we review two famous models on binomial option pricing, Rendleman and Barter (RB... more In this chapter, we review two famous models on binomial option pricing, Rendleman and Barter (RB 1979) and Cox et al. (CRR 1979). We show that the limiting results of the two models both lead to the celebrated Black-Scholes formula. From our detailed derivations, CRR is easy to follow if one has the advanced level knowledge in probability theory but

A detailed decomposition of synthetic cohort analysis

Economics Letters, 2015

A Detailed Decomposition of Synthetic Cohort Analysis * Social scientists are often interested in... more A Detailed Decomposition of Synthetic Cohort Analysis * Social scientists are often interested in assessing relative changes between two groups over time, for example, the convergence of black-white wages from 1940 to 1990. In such situations, we need a control group for both treatment groups to remove biases resulting from time trends and unobserved factors. Smith and Welch (1989) propose a decomposition technique that handles this situation using a difference-indifferences like method, attributing relative changes to four different effects. However, a method for specifying the contribution of every variable in the equation, referred to as the detailed decomposition, has not been developed. We present a detailed decomposition and provide a Stata estimator for practitioners to implement our method. Using the convergence of black-white wage between 1960 and 1970 as an example, our detailed decomposition result shows that education accounts for 73 percent of the value of change in characteristics while experience explains only 3 percent.

Decomposing abnormal returns in stochastic linear models

Economics Letters, 2013

This paper presents a method helpful in analyzing the sources of return in an event study. A gene... more This paper presents a method helpful in analyzing the sources of return in an event study. A generalized decomposition result derived from the differential between two random linear functions attributes the effect of events or regulations on the value of firms to differences in economy-wide and individualistic factors. In aggregate decomposition, the abnormal return in the existing literature is equivalent to the coefficient effects. As an example, I take the market model in Card and Krueger (1995) showing that this approach helps provide additional insights.

Social Disadvantage and Children’s Nutritional Status in Rural-Urban Migrant Households

Journal of Contemporary China, 2019

Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research pu... more Any opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but IZA takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The IZA Institute of Labor Economics is an independent economic research institute that conducts research in labor economics and offers evidence-based policy advice on labor market issues. Supported by the Deutsche Post Foundation, IZA runs the world's largest network of economists, whose research aims to provide answers to the global labor market challenges of our time. Our key objective is to build bridges between academic research, policymakers and society. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.

Social Disadvantage and Children's Nutritional Status in Rural-Urban Migrant Households

by Yana van der Meulen Rodgers and Carl Lin

Journal of Contemporary China, 2019

This article uses an innovative rural-urban migrant survey to assess how social disadvantage is a... more This article uses an innovative rural-urban migrant survey to assess how social disadvantage is associated with children's nutritional status in migrant households. Measures of social disadvantage are based on China's hukou system of household registration (designed to limit domestic migration flows by denying urban public services to migrants with rural registrations) and on son preference (stemming in part from the strict one-child policy). Regression results indicate that a rural hukou status is negatively associated with children's weight-forage Zscores, even after controlling for household characteristics, and girl children exhibit poorer nutritional status than boys. Results from a quantile decomposition procedure confirm that leftbehind children have lower nutritional scores than children who migrate with their parents, and the gaps are biggest at lower portions of the distribution.

Parental Migration Decisions and Child Health Outcomes: Evidence from China

by Yana van der Meulen Rodgers and Carl Lin

Research in Labor Economics, 2019

This study uses migrant household survey data from 2008 and 2009 to examine how parental migratio... more This study uses migrant household survey data from 2008 and 2009 to examine how parental migration decisions are associated with the nutritional status of children in rural and urban China. Results from instrumental variables regressions show a substantial adverse effect of children’s exposure to parental migration on height-for-age Z-scores of left-behind children relative to children who migrate with their parents. Additional results from a standard Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, a quantile decomposition, and a counterfactual distribution analysis all confirm that children who are left behind in rural villages – usually because of the oppressive hukou system – have poorer nutritional status than children who migrate with their parents, and the gaps are biggest at lower portions of the distribution.