1st Edition

China’s Urban Labor Market Evolution and Stratification

By Li Jun Copyright 2026
216 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

216 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This book explores the evolving dynamics of China's urban labor market and social hierarchies over four decades of economic reform, offering a systematic analysis of structural shifts and their societal impacts. It begins with an overview of the key drivers that are reshaping Chinese society. This is followed by three thematic sections. Part One examines the decline of traditional systems, such... Read more

Chapter One Introduction Part 1 Institutional Changes Chapter Two Hukou Status and Stratification Chapter Three Organization Size and Earnings Differentiations Chapter Four Structural Factors of the Wage Gap Part 2 Labor Market Segmentation Chapter Five Precarious Work and New Segmentation Chapter Six The Comparison of Segmentation Dimensions Chapter Seven Longitudinal Test of Segmentation Evidence Part 3 Employment Differentiation for University Graduates Chapter Eight Education: Job Gap and Income Chapter Nine The Urban or Rural Background and Cumulative Advantages Chapter Ten The Chosen Ones and Secondary Labor Market Postscript Bibliography

Biography

Li Jun is Professor and Director of the Institute of Sociology at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, specializing in contemporary Chinese society, social stratification, urban sociology, and labor sociology.