Ma Xiangjun, professor from the School of Finance and Trade/Chinese Academy of Economic Research has published a collaborative paper in The World Economy. The paper, titled "Industry selection of regional migrants in China: The role of urban industry structures of home and destination," was co-authored by Professor Qiu Dongxiao from Lingnan University (first author), Professor Hyelim Son from Seoul National University (corresponding author). The paper was published in The World Economy, a top journal in the field of international economics.

Abstract: The floating population accounts for a high proportion in China's labor market, and their labor supply behavior has profound impacts on social welfare, resource reallocation, and economic development. However, the existing literature on the regularity of which industry the floating population ultimately enters in the destination city is still very limited. This paper focuses on the roles of the industry structure of the floating population's household registration location and the destination city in the industry selection of inter-provincial floating population. Building on the Roy model, the paper establishes a theoretical model describing the industry selection of the floating population and makes the following predictions: the floating population is more likely to enter the disadvantaged industry of their household registration location in the destination city, and they are also more likely to enter the advantageous industry of the destination city. Using nationwide dynamic monitoring data of the floating population, the empirical results are consistent with the theoretical predictions and reveal that when the industry structures of the household registration location and the destination city are more differentiated, there is more floating population movement between the two regions, and vice versa.

Author Introduction

Ma Xiangjun, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Liaoning University, is the Vice Dean of the School of Finance and Trade, and also serves as the Vice Dean of the China Economic Research Institute. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Virginia. Previously, she worked as an associate professor at the University of International Business and Economics, an economist/manager specializing in transfer pricing at Deloitte Tax LLP in the United States (Silicon Valley office), a visiting scholar at the National School of Development at Peking University, and a Temporarily Transferred Officer at the Department of WTO Affairs in the Ministry of Commerce of China. Her research interests include international trade, international taxation and multinational corporations, and applied microeconomics. Her published papers have appeared in top international journals such as the Journal of International Economics. She has also led projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation and the Beijing Social Science Foundation. Her teaching subjects include international trade, microeconomics, and principles of economics. Ma Xiangjun has received accolades such as the second prize and best teaching case award in the Beijing Young Teachers' Basic Skills Competition, the Outstanding Teaching Award at the University of International Business and Economics, the first prize in the Young Teachers' Basic Skills Competition, the third prize in the Micro-Lecture Competition, and has consistently ranked in the top 10% in teaching evaluations over the years.