Stuck in the Middle: Off-Farm Employment and Caregiving Among Middle-Aged Rural Chinese |
| |
Authors: | Shangyi Mao Xinxin Chen |
| |
Institution: | 1. School of Finance, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Panyu District, Guangzhou, 510006, China e-mail: m.cherish@gmail.com;2. Peking University, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China e-mail: xinxinchen.zjgsu@gmail.com |
| |
Abstract: | ABSTRACTUsing the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011–12 baseline data, this contribution explores to what extent taking care of grandchildren and frail parents influences rural middle-aged Chinese adults’ off-farm employment. The findings show that, conditional on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, taking care of grandchildren has a negative effect on rural middle-aged men's and women's off-farm job participation and hours worked. Caregiving for parents does not have the same negative effects on off-farm employment and hours worked. Furthermore, the study finds that annual earnings are also negatively affected by caregiving responsibilities, especially for women and men taking care of grandchildren. |
| |
Keywords: | Childcare middle-aged labor force participation labor supply rural economic development eldercare |
|
|