Gender Pay Gap in Transitional China: Sticky Floor and Glass Ceiling Across Sectors

• In Event: 30203 - Demography and Inequality in East Asia

Abstract

Despite global progress in gender equality, the gender pay gap remains persistent worldwide. This study examines gender disparities in income in China, a transitional society that has experienced significant socioeconomic transformations over the past few decades. Using multiple waves of the China General Social Survey (CGSS) and quantile regression analysis, we investigate whether income disparities are more pronounced at the lower end (sticky floor) or upper end (glass ceiling) of the income distribution. Additionally, we explore how these patterns differ between the state and non-state sectors, reflecting China’s transition from a centrally planned to a more market-oriented economy. Preliminary findings from the 2021 CGSS reveal a strong sticky floor effect in the non-state sector, while an emerging glass ceiling effect is observed in the state sector. We attribute this contrast to weaker labor protections and greater occupational segregation in the non-state sector, alongside heightened gender-based barriers to career advancement in the state sector. To better understand the evolving trends in these effects, we will analyze data dating back to 2003, contextualizing the findings within China’s shifting labor market, rising income inequality, and changing landscape of gender equity.

Authors

• Tianao Gui, Johns Hopkins University

• Feng Wei, Johns Hopkins University

• Feinian Chen, Johns Hopkins University