Title: Are Spousal Labor Supplies Substitutes? Evidence from the Workweek Reduction Policy in China

Speaker: Shi Xinzheng

Abstract: We estimate the effects of the spousal labor supply on the individual labor supply by using the workweek reduction policy implemented in China as a natural experiment. We find that an increase in the labor supply of wives significantly reduces the labor supply of husbands, while an increase in the labor supply of husbands has a negative but insignificant effect on that of their wives. However, an increase in the labor supply of the spouse increases the amount of time spent on housework of both husbands and wives. The substitution effect between the labor supplies of spouses found in our paper differs from the findings based on data from developed countries. It suggests that more resources are needed to achieve the goals set by governments in developing countries.

Shi Xinzheng: Associate Professor of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University.

Date: October 25, Thursday, 2018

Time: 10:30-11:45 AM

Location: Room 608, Academic Hall, CUFE