Title:Growth and Happiness in China, 1990-2015.

Speaker:Fei Wang

Abstract:From 1990 to 2000-2005 life satisfaction in China declined. Since then it has turned upward, but at present appears, on average, to be no greater and possibly less than a quarter century ago. Labor market conditions and the social safety net are what matters most to understand the course of well-being in China’s transition. In the first part of the transition, as economic restructuring is undertaken, jobs and safety net benefits shrink markedly for the disadvantaged members of the population. Well-being suffers severely, and the difference in life satisfaction by socio-economic status, which initially was quite small, widens markedly. As economic recovery takes hold, the job market improves. In addition, the government, in response to symptoms of economic distress, starts to repair the social safety net. The result is that life satisfaction, on average, turns upward, and the disparity in life satisfaction between the more and less affluent shrinks.

About Fei Wang:He is an assistant professor of School of Labor and HumanResources at Renmin University of China. He obtained his PhD degree from University of South California. He graduated from Nanjing University and Peking University for his bachelor and master degree respectively. He specializes in Labor Economics, Population Economics, Program Evaluation, Applied Micro-econometrics, Subjective Well-being.

Date:Nov, 10th, 2016

Time:15:30-17:10 PM

Location:Room 608, Academic Hall, CUFE