Human Capital and Growth: What Can we Learn from Micro-data? Evidence from Taiwan (1976-95)

This paper uses micro-data to define aggregate human capital stock indicators and proposes various specifications to test for the role of human capital accumulation on economic growth. An empirical evaluation on the Taiwanese experience over the 1975-96 period suggests that: (i) the use of alternative human capital measures does not allow for the identification of significant differences with usual indicators when estimating the direct contribution of human capital accumulation to economic growth, (ii) specifying indirect channels through which human capital accumulation may affect economic growth allows for a clear identification of external effects arising through intersectoral interactions.Taiwan., externality, experience, human capital, economic growth

Wage Differentials and Ownership Structure in Chinese Enterprises

This paper analyses the determinants of wage differentials among different ownership enterprises in urban China in 1955,using an extended version of Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition methods. We find higher wages in state-owned and foreign-invested enterprises compared to urban collectives, but no significant difference in hourly wages between central state-owned and foreign-invested enterprises. Moreover, we find strong evidence for segmentation on the Chinese labor market, the conjunction of segmentation and differences in hours worked being the major determinant of observed differences. We also show that, although foreign-invested enterprises allow for higher global annual income, it is at the cost of longer working hours.China., enterprise ownership, segmentation, labour market

Urban income inequality in China revisited (1988–2002)

Using newly available spatial price deflators, this paper shows that inequality evaluations in the literatureoverstate the magnitude of inequality and inequality changes in China, as well as the role played by regional differences in the recent inequality rise.Inequality; China; Spatial price deflators; Inequality decomposition

The Evolution of Gender Earnings Gaps and Discrimination in Urban China: 1988-1995

This paper analyzes the impact of market liberalization on gender earnings differentials and discrimination against women in urban China at the beginning of the 90s. The observed stability in the overall gender earnings gap between 1988 and 1995 is shown to result from a complex set of evolutions across enterprises, earnings distributions and time. Our results highlight the interplay of opposing forces, economic reforms contributing to changes in managers’ behaviors in different dimensions. On the one hand, by bringing more competition, liberalization favored a reduction in discriminating behaviors in both urban collectives and foreign-invested enterprises; on the other hand, by relaxing institutional rules, it led to a loosening of the government’s egalitarian wage setting policies, leaving more space for discrimination in state-owned enterprises.gender earnings differentials, discrimination, enterprise ownership, urban China

The Evolution of Gender Earnings Gaps and Discrimination in Urban China, 1988-95

This paper analyzes the impact of market liberalization on gender earnings differentials and discrimination against women in urban China at the beginning of the 1990s. The observed stability in the overall gender earnings gap between 1988 and 1995 is shown to result from a complex set of evolutions across enterprises, earnings distributions, and time. Our results highlight the interplay of opposing forces, with economic reforms contributing to changes in managers' behaviors in different dimensions. On the one hand, by bringing more competition, liberalization favored a reduction in discriminating behaviors in both urban collectives and foreign-invested enterprises; on the other hand, by relaxing institutional rules, it led to a loosening of the government's egalitarian wage-setting policies, leaving more space for discrimination in state-owned enterprises.

Urban income inequality in China revisited, 1988-2002

Using newly available spatial price deflators, this paper shows that inequality evaluations in the literature overstate the magnitude of inequality and inequality changes in China, as well as the role played by regional differences in the observed inequality rise duringthe 1990s.Inequality; China; Spatial price-deflators; Inequality decomposition

Rural households'decisions towards income diversification: Evidence from a township in northern China

Economic reforms in rural China have brought opportunities to diversify both within-farm activities and off-farm activities. Participation in these activities plays an important role in increasing rural households' income. This paper analyzes the factors that drive rural households and individuals in their income-source diversification choices in a Northern China township. At the household level, we distinguish three types of diversification as opposed to grain production only: within farm (non-grain production) activities, local off-farm activities, and migration. We find that land availability stimulates on-farm diversification. Local off-farm activities are mostly driven by households' assets position and working resources, while migration decisions strongly depend on the household size and composition. At the individual level, we analyze the determinants of participation in three different types of jobs as compared to agricultural work: local off-farm employment, local self-employment and migration. We find a clear gender and age bias in access to off-farm activities that are mostly undertaken by male and by young people. The households' assets position as well as village networks are found to strongly affect participation in off-farm activities.income-source diversification; agricultural households; off-farm employment; China

Des usages de la liberté : abolition du servage et paysannerie chez Boris Tchitchérine

О пользовании свободой: Отмена крепостного права и крестьянство, судя по Борису Чичерину "Хотя Борис Чичерин не является прямым участником в отмене крепостного права, его вклад в это дело заслуживает внимание, оттого что юриста придает ей кардинальное значение для либеральной модернизации России, где гражданская ссвобода станет основой для эволюции к политической свободе. Надо воспринимать условия отмены крепостного права, предписанные Чичериным, в этом контексте, так же как и его выступления в начале 1860 гг. Однако его представление о вольном крестьянстве отмечает ясно границы, которые он предназначает политической свободе, предоставленной меньшинству, судя по способностям каждого. Будучи либералом, сторонником представительной системы и защитником частной собственности и личной инициативы, он остается помещиком, с социальной точки зрения консерватором, привязанным к политической роли земской аристократии, тогда как Россия пускается в индустриализацию и экономическое развитие."http://ilcea.revues.org/index1784.html "Bien que Boris Tchitchérine ne soit pas un acteur de premier plan de l'abolition du servage, son apport à cette réforme mérite d'être considéré parce que le juriste y voit la condition sine qua non d'une modernisation libérale de la Russie, où la liberté civile serait le socle de l'évolution vers la liberté politique. Les modalités de l'abolition du servage préconisées par Tchitchérine sont à lire dans ce contexte, tout comme les prises de position qui sont les siennes au début des années 1860. Toutefois, sa vision de la paysannerie libre marque clairement les limites qu'il assigne à la liberté politique, soumise à une logique étroitement capacitaire qui en réserve l'usage à une petite minorité. Le libéral partisan des institutions représentatives et adepte de la propriété et de l'initative privées, demeure un propriétaire terrien conservateur sur le plan social, attaché au rôle politique de l'aristocratie foncière au moment même où la Russie s'engage sur la voie de l'industrialisation et du décollage économique.

Wage Differentials and Ownership Structure in Chinese Enterprises

This paper analyses the determinants of wage differentials among different ownership enterprises in urban China in 1955,using an extended version of Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition methods. We find higher wages in state-owned and foreign-invested enterprises compared to urban collectives, but no significant difference in hourly wages between central state-owned and foreign-invested enterprises. Moreover, we find strong evidence for segmentation on the Chinese labor market, the conjunction of segmentation and differences in hours worked being the major determinant of observed differences. We also show that, although foreign-invested enterprises allow for higher global annual income, it is at the cost of longer working hours.China., enterprise ownership, segmentation, labor market

Toward Partial Reorientation of Land Management for Sustainability in View of Material Circulation: Biophysical and Historical Analysis

This paper explores two major issues, from biophysical and historical viewpoints. We examine land management, which we define as the long-term fertility maintenance of land in relation to agriculture, fishery and forestry. We also explore humans’ positive role as agents aiming to reinforce harmonious materials circulation within the land. Liebig’s view on nature, agriculture and land, emphasizes the maintenance of long-term land fertility based on his agronomical thought that the circulation of matter in agricultural fields must be maintained with manure as much as possible. The thoughts of several classical economists, on nature, agriculture and land are reassessed from Liebig’s view point. Then, the land management problem is discussed at a much more fundamental level, to understand the necessary conditions for life in relation to land management. This point is analyzed in terms of two mechanisms: entropy disposal on the earth, and material circulation against gravitational field. Finally from the historical example of the metropolis of Edo, it is shown that there is yet another necessary condition for the sustainable management of land based on the creation of harmonious material cycles among cities, farm land, forests and surrounding sea areas in which humans play a vital role as agent.land management, material circulation, sustainability, Liebig, Edo