Parental education and wages: evidence from China

Arbeitspapier

Using nationally representative data in China, we find substantial positive partial correlations of both parents' education with one's wage. In addition, returns to father's education are higher in more monopsonistic and less meritocratic labor markets, including non-coastal regions, the state-owned sector, and the early periods of the reform era. The opposite is, however, true with respect to mother's education. Overall, the empirical evidence is consistent with the story that father's education mainly indicates family connections useful for locating a better-paying first job, while mother's education primarily captures unmeasured ability.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 4218

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs: General ; Job, Occupational, and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
• Subject: Parental education ; wages ; family connections ; unmeasured ability ; Lohn ; Familiensoziologie ; Soziales Netzwerk ; Bildungsniveau ; Eltern ; China

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Chen, Yuanyuan ; Feng, Shuaizhang
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2009

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/35792
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-20090619133
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET