Institutional Labour Market Segmentation in China

As the excessive labour market segmentation has negatively affected China’s social and economic development in many ways, this paper describes the status quo of China’s labour market segmentation and the segmentation’s history since 2000. In addition, the paper analyzes institutional factors that affect labour market segmentation among different groups and assesses the effects of specific policies that are closely related to the development of the labour market. More specifically, this paper reviews key labour market policies and programs introduced during the last decade and analyzes the impact of the Minimum Wage Policy, the Labour Contract Law and the Household Registration System (hukou) on labour market segmentation. At last, it offers several policy recommendations to reduce the China’s labour market segmentation

New integrated concepts and measures of income poverty and of 'common prosperity' in China

With incomes rising rapidly in China, measures of numbers in absolute poverty are no longer helpful for policy. A case is made for introducing a new concept and measure of relative poverty in China. Support is found from estimates of happiness functions using the 2013 national surveys of the China Household Income Project (CHIP). The Chinese government has recently introduced a new policy of promoting ‘common prosperity’. The criteria for measuring progress towards the achievement of common prosperity are analysed. A case is made for integrating the concepts of relative poverty and of common prosperity, so that households can be classified as poor, commonly prosperous, or rich. That classification is made for the 2002, 2013, and 2018 CHIP surveys

Robotic Cane as a Soft SuperLimb for Elderly Sit-to-Stand Assistance

Many researchers have identified robotics as a potential solution to the aging population faced by many developed and developing countries. If so, how should we address the cognitive acceptance and ambient control of elderly assistive robots through design? In this paper, we proposed an explorative design of an ambient SuperLimb (Supernumerary Robotic Limb) system that involves a pneumatically-driven robotic cane for at-home motion assistance, an inflatable vest for compliant human-robot interaction, and a depth sensor for ambient intention detection. The proposed system aims at providing active assistance during the sit-to-stand transition for at-home usage by the elderly at the bedside, in the chair, and on the toilet. We proposed a modified biomechanical model with a linear cane robot for closed-loop control implementation. We validated the design feasibility of the proposed ambient SuperLimb system including the biomechanical model, our result showed the advantages in reducing lower limb efforts and elderly fall risks, yet the detection accuracy using depth sensing and adjustments on the model still require further research in the future. Nevertheless, we summarized empirical guidelines to support the ambient design of elderly-assistive SuperLimb systems for lower limb functional augmentation.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, accepted for IEEE RoboSoft 202

The long-term evolution of income polarisation in China, 1995-2018

Based on data from the Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP) and the recently extended "relative distribution" method, this paper analyses the long-term evolution of income polarisation in China from 1995 to 2018 and identifies some of the drivers of the observed changes in polarisation during these years. The results show that although income inequality in China continued to expand from 1995 to 2018, income polarisation experienced a historic reversal, as it decreased significantly between 2013 and 2018 due to decreases in polarisation in both the lower and upper tails of the distribution. Among the factors driving these changes, endowment factors such as urbanisation and increased educational attainment are identified as the sources of declining polarisation at the bottom of the distribution, whereas declining returns to education and employment are the main reasons for the reduced polarisation at the top. Additionally, the polarisation between urban and rural areas significantly decreased from 2013 to 2018, while the middle class also expanded apparently, thus contributing to the historic decline in overall polarisation during these years

Payments for ecological restoration and internal migration in China: The Sloping Land Conversion Program in Ningxia

This paper analyses the impact of the Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP) on rural labor migration in China. We use recent survey data from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and a difference-in-difference approach to assess the impact of the policy on labor migration decision. We find a significant effect of the policy : the migration probability increase due to the SLCP policy amounts to 17.5 percentage points in 2008. Furthermore, we highlight the role of policy duration in strengthening the impact of the program on migration. We also find that young, male and Hui nationality individuals are more likely to be impacted by the policy

The unintended impact of housing provident fund on income inequality in urban China

We use the China Household Income Project (CHIP) data to evaluate the impact of the Housing Provident Fund (HPF) on income inequality in urban China. We find that urban residents differ significantly in their accessibility to and intensity of utilization of the HPF. Those who work in the public sector, in monopolistic industries, and possess managerial or professional occupations are more likely to benefit from the HPF, leading to further income inequality. Our research also emphasizes four mechanisms through which the HPF affects income inequality. The foregone interest due to compulsory HPF saving is the only mechanism that decreases the inequality, whereas the employer's match, personal income tax exemption on the HPF, and lower interest expense due to acquiring the HPF loan increase inequality. The evidence highlights the HPF's unintended redistributive impacts and thus the necessity of enhancing equity in the ongoing HPF reform

Payments for ecological restoration and rural labor migration in China: The Sloping Land Conversion Program in Ningxia

International audienceThis paper analyses the impact of the Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP) on rural labor migration in China. We use recent survey data from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and a difference-in-difference approach to assess the impact of the policy on labor migration decision. We find a significant effect of the policy: the migration probability increase due to the SLCP policy amounts to 17.5 percentage points in 2008. Furthermore, we highlight the role of policy duration in strengthening the impact of the program on migration. We also find that young, male and Hui nationality individuals are more likely to be impacted by the policy