Abstract
This article examines discrimination based on hukou status, a legal
construct that segregates locals and migrants in urban China. Local
and migrant household helpers were recruited as experimental
participants to interact in a standard gift exchange game (GEG) as
well as a new variant of the GEG, called the wage promising game
(WPG). The WPG uses non-binding wage offers and final wages that
employers set after observing effort. In the GEG, both statistical and
preference-based discrimination may motivate employers to offer
lower wages to migrants than to locals, whereas in the WPG the statistical
motive is excluded. Results reveal discrimination against
migrants and show that preference-based discrimination is an
important employer motive.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 628-649 |
Journal | International Labour Review |
Volume | 73 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2019 |