The Stanford's Center on China’s Economy and Institutions (SCCEI) is pleased to announce the launch of its second official research program: the China Labor, Income, and Population (CLIP) research program. Led by SCCEI faculty co-director Hongbin Li, CLIP aims to explore China’s labor market, income, and demographic shifts, to provide a deeper understanding of their implications for China's economic landscape.

SCCEI researchers contributing to CLIP include Hongbin Li, the James Liang Endowed Chair and SCCEI Faculty Co-director, Lingsheng Meng, Research Scholar, Xinyao Qiu, Postdoctoral Scholar, Hanmo Yang, Lazear-Liang Postdoctoral Scholar, and Claire Cousineau, Program Manager. Building off of the researchers’ current research portfolios and areas of expertise, the program will focus on the study of labor quantity (population), labor quality (human capital), income, and the interactions between technology and labor, while also examining the role of China’s unique institutions, such as the gaokao exam system, hukou system, and the state, in shaping the labor market.

A distinctive feature of CLIP is its ability to leverage China’s vast data resources. Researchers will employ both field surveys and big data to study the complexities of China’s labor market, education and population dynamics and their roles in the Chinese economy. Through these efforts, the program aspires to contribute meaningfully to discussions surrounding China's social and economic development, particularly in light of rapid technological changes and demographic challenges. CLIP’s findings will not only benefit academic scholars and policy-makers, but also international stakeholders who seek to better understand China’s role in the global economy.

This CLIP program builds on SCCEI's ongoing mission to produce high-quality, evidence-based research on China’s economy, potentially offering critical insights that can help inform future policies.

For more information, visit the official CLIP research page.