Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban China

Abstract The Chinese authorities issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of the Household Registration System” in 2014. This policy maintained strict controls on urban hukou in megacities, while slightly less stringent controls were applied in large cities. However, the restrict...

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Main Authors: Chong Lu, Xingyu Qian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2024-11-01
Series:Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03902-9
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author Chong Lu
Xingyu Qian
author_facet Chong Lu
Xingyu Qian
author_sort Chong Lu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The Chinese authorities issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of the Household Registration System” in 2014. This policy maintained strict controls on urban hukou in megacities, while slightly less stringent controls were applied in large cities. However, the restrictions on obtaining urban hukou were significantly relaxed in medium-sized cities and completely lifted in small cities. This study examines the causal effects and underlying mechanisms of hukou reform on urban innovation in cities of different sizes, using DID method based on a quasi-natural experiment by the 2014 hukou reform in China. The findings suggest that the hukou reform can significantly promote urban innovation, with particularly strong positive effects observed in large cities in the eastern region, small- and medium-sized cities in the central and western regions, as well as cities with favourable conditions for innovation. The primary mechanisms in which hukou reform influences urban innovation involve enhancing both the quantity and quality of urban labor force, as well as creating a better environment for innovation in cities.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2662-9992
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series Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
spelling doaj-art-57b6e71e9b354e65ae2f9d98ced004f22024-11-10T12:13:00ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922024-11-0111111210.1057/s41599-024-03902-9Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban ChinaChong Lu0Xingyu Qian1Research Institute of Social Development, Southwestern University of Finance and EconomicsSchool of Public Policy and Administration, Chongqing UniversityAbstract The Chinese authorities issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of the Household Registration System” in 2014. This policy maintained strict controls on urban hukou in megacities, while slightly less stringent controls were applied in large cities. However, the restrictions on obtaining urban hukou were significantly relaxed in medium-sized cities and completely lifted in small cities. This study examines the causal effects and underlying mechanisms of hukou reform on urban innovation in cities of different sizes, using DID method based on a quasi-natural experiment by the 2014 hukou reform in China. The findings suggest that the hukou reform can significantly promote urban innovation, with particularly strong positive effects observed in large cities in the eastern region, small- and medium-sized cities in the central and western regions, as well as cities with favourable conditions for innovation. The primary mechanisms in which hukou reform influences urban innovation involve enhancing both the quantity and quality of urban labor force, as well as creating a better environment for innovation in cities.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03902-9
spellingShingle Chong Lu
Xingyu Qian
Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban China
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
title Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban China
title_full Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban China
title_fullStr Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban China
title_full_unstemmed Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban China
title_short Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban China
title_sort unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban china
url https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03902-9
work_keys_str_mv AT chonglu unboundhukouandreboundinnovationinurbanchina
AT xingyuqian unboundhukouandreboundinnovationinurbanchina