Discussion on "Changes in Labor Force Participation in China"

In discussing the presentation on the “Changes in Labor Force Participation in China” by Suqin Ge and Junsen Zhang, the presenter acknowledges the decline in female labor force participation rate in the PRC. He further suggests that this regression would indicate several possible drivers. He also hinted that by comparing the PRC’s female labor force participation with that of other Asian countries, an underlying narrative may possibly emerge.

Changes in Labor Force Participation in China

The People’s Republic of China is a fast-growing and transitional economy that is experiencing drastic demographic shifts, but little is known about the patterns of labor force participation over time, as well as the sources and determinants of changes in participation rates – both important elements in the understanding of the impact of demographic change on the future of the PRC’s workforce. The authors laid out the current dramatic demographic changes in the PRC, as well as the present changes in the country’s labor force participation rates. ​

Nai Peng Tey

Tey Nai Peng is an Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Statistics, Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya. He teaches demography and survey methods and was a coordinator of the Population Studies Unit at the University. Prior to joining the University in 1992, he was the director of the Population Studies Center at the National Population and Family Development Board Malaysia (NPFDB). He has presented papers at international and local conferences on population issues relating to fertility, marriage, reproductive health, gender, and aging.

François Derrien

François Derrien is a Professor of Finance at HEC Paris. His research is in corporate finance, with a focus on how the environment of firms affects their financing and investment decisions, and ultimately, their performance and value. In that vein, he has studied the impact of security analysts on corporate policies, as well as the effect of the horizon of investors on firms’ decisions. More recently, his work has focused on understanding how local labor markets affect firms. In particular, he studies the impact of local demographics on the ability of firms to innovate and to grow.

The Board: Roles and Responsibilities for the 21st Century

What is a board director really supposed to be doing? What is the balance between engagement and independence? To whom does a board director owe loyalty? What happens when things go wrong?

Directors should seek to understand the board’s role and the core principles of their duties and responsibilities. They should put in place mechanisms within the board to ensure that these duties and responsibilities are discharged. The key to board effectiveness lies as much in behaviors and relationships as in structure and processes.