The labor market outcomes of jurisdictional consolidation
Evidence from city–county mergers in China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11079619 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shiyu Bo (0000-0001-8364-2073, Jinan University, corresponding author), Yi Wang (0000-0003-2228-7009, Jinan University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 149 |
| Pages | 103788 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Urban Economics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0094-1190 • E-ISSN: 1095-9068 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jue.2025.103788 |
| OpenAlex | W4412016982 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 37 |
In this paper, we examine the labor market outcomes of jurisdictional consolidation, focusing on the effect of city–county mergers in China between 2011 and 2018 on the wages of migrant workers and local residents. Under the merger reform, city districts were consolidated with nearby counties, expanding the jurisdiction under the centralized control of the prefecture government. Using a staggered difference-in-differences approach, we find that wages increased by 3.1% for migrant workers and 10.4% for local residents in consolidated jurisdictions. We attribute these effects to local economic growth and the resulting differentiated labor demand for migrant and local workers
Business · China · Consolidation (business · Economics · Political science · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Finance · Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth · Local Government Finance and Decentralization
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| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 7 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |