Prof. ZHANG, Junsen

Wei Lun Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 3943-8186
Fax : (852) 2603-5805

Education

• Ph.D. (Economics), 1990, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
• M.A. (Economics), 1986, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
• B.Sc. (Engineering), 1983, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China

Research Areas:

• Labor and Demographic Economics
• Applied Econometrics

Major Professional Services and Honors:

• Editor (since May 2001), Journal of Population Economics (the official journal of the European Society for Population Economics, published by Springer).
• Associate Editor (May 2001 - 2005), Review of Economics of the Household.
• Associate Editor (January 1996 - May 2001), Journal of Population Economics.
• Editorial Board Member (since October 2003), China Journal of Economics.
• Editorial Board Member (since January 2004), International Journal of Applied Economics.
• Ranked #357 in Top 1000 Economists (based on publications 1994-1998):
  http://student.ulb.ac.be/~tcoupe/rank1000.html
• Ranked #550 in Top 1000 Economists (based on publications 1990-2000):
  http://student.ulb.ac.be/~tcoupe/update/top1000p.html

Other Academic/Community Services

• Part-time member, the Central Policy Unit, Hong Kong Government, November 2001--.
• Vice President, Hong Kong Economic Association, 2001-2007.
• President, Hong Kong Economic Association, August 2007--.
• Member of the Executive Committee, Hong Kong Economic Association, 1999--.
• Honorary Secretary, Hong Kong Economic Association, 1999-2001.
• Member of the Humanities, Social Sciences & Business Studies Panel of the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, 2003-2005.
• Research Fellow, The Institute for the Study of Labour, Bonn, Germany, 1999-.
• Anonymous referee for American Economic Review, Applied Economics, Canadian Journal of Economics, Economic Inquiry, Economic Journal, European Economic Review, Economics of Transition, European Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Comparative Economics, Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Economic Growth, Journal of Human Resources, Journal of Labor Economics, Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Population Economics, Journal of Public Economics, Journal of International Trade and Economic Development, Labour Economics, Oxford Economic Papers, Pacific Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Research in Labor Economics, Research Grant Council of Hong Kong (Research Grant), Review of Income & Wealth, The Wellcome Trust (Research Grant application review), Cambridge University Press (Book Proposal), City University of Hong Kong (Research Grant), National Science Foundation of USA (Research Grant), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Research Grant).

Major External(Research) Grants

1. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC), "The Effect of Tax-Transfer Policies on Fertility in Canada," 1992-1995, Junsen Zhang (principal investigator).
2. RGC Earmarked Grant, Hong Kong, 1995-98, "Gender Bias, Sex Selection, and Intergenerational Transfers," Junsen Zhang (principal investigator).
3. Equal Opportunities Commission of Hong Kong, 1997-98,"Feasibility Study on Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value," Junsen Zhang (Co-principal investigator).
4. RGC Earmarked Grant, Hong Kong, 1998-2001, "Ageing and Long-run Economic Growth: Theoretical and Empirical Analyses," Junsen Zhang (principal investigator).
5. RGC Earmarked Grant, Hong Kong, 2001-2004, "Schooling Investments and Returns under Different Policy Regimes in China: A Collection and Study of Twins Data," Junsen Zhang (principal investigator).
6. NSF/RGC Earmarked Grant, Hong Kong, 2002-2005, "Economic Reforms and Labour Market Transitions in Urban China," Junsen Zhang (principal investigator, HK side).
7. RGC Earmarked Grant, Hong Kong, 2006-2008, "An Economic Model of Fertility Behavior under Fines: Theory and Evidence from Rural China," Junsen Zhang (principal investigator).
8. RGC Earmarked Grant (Public Policy Research Funding Scheme), Hong Kong, 2006-2008, "An Economic Analysis of Gender Earnings Gaps in Hong Kong, 1981-2006," Junsen Zhang (principal investigator).
9. RGC Earmarked Grant, Hong Kong, 2008-2010, "The One-Child Policy, Sex Ratio Imbalance, and Criminal Behavior in China," Junsen Zhang (principal investigator).
10. RGC Earmarked Grant, Hong Kong, 2008-2010, "Population Policies, Pensions, and Habit Formation: Resolving the Chinese Saving Puzzle," Junsen Zhang (Co-I).
11. CHUK Special Grant for RGC shortlisted Collaborative Research Fund Application, Hong Kong, 2009-2011, "Family Background, Educational Inequality, and Preschool Intervention Programs in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland: An Analysis with the Experimental Approach," Junsen Zhang (PI), James J. Heckman, Mark Rosenzweig et al. as Co-Is.
12. RGC Earmarked Grant, Hong Kong, 2009-2011, "The One-Way Permit, Cross-Boundary Marriage, and Family Behavior in Hong Kong," Junsen Zhang (PI).

Selected Journal Publications

• "Sex Ratios and Crime: Evidence from China" (with L. Edlund, H. Li and J. Yi), forthcoming in Review of Economics and Statistics.
• "Estimating Returns to Education Using Twins in Urban China" (with H. Li), forthcoming in Journal of Development Economics.

• "Estimating the Effect of the One-Child Policy on Sex Ratio Imbalance in China: Identification Based on the Difference-in-Differences" (with H. Li and J. Yi), forthcoming in Demography.
• "Globalization and Wage Inequality: Evidence from Urban China" (with J. Han and R. Liu), Journal of International Economics, (2012) 87(2): 288-297.
• "Gender earnings gaps in Hong Kong: Empirical evidence from across the earnings distribution in 2006," (with Y. Ge and H. Li), China Economic Review, (2011) 22(1): 151-164.

• "Wages, Participation and Unemployment in the Economic Transition of Urban China," (with J. Han), Economics of Transition, (July 2010) 18(3): 513-538.
• "The Effect of House Price on Fertility: Evidence from Hong Kong," (with J. Yi), Economic Inquiry, (July 2010) 48(3): 635-650.
• "Long-term Effects of the 1959-1961 Famine: Mainland China and Hong Kong," (with D. Almond, L. Edlund and H. Li), Chapter in a forthcoming NBER book The Demographic Transition in the Pacific Rim, NBER-EASE Volume 19, Takatoshi Ito and Andrew Rose, editors. (previously circulated as NBER Working Paper No. 13384)
• "Altruism, Favoritism, and Guilt in the Allocation of Family Resources: Sophie's Choice in Mao's Mass Send-Down Movement," (with H. Li and M. Rosenzweig), Journal of Political Economy, (February 2010) 118(1): 1-38 (lead article).
• "Why Does Spousal Education Matter for Earnings? Assortative Mating and Cross-productivity," (H. Chong, H. Li and P.W. Liu), Journal of Labor Economics, (October 2009) 27: 633-652.
• "Testing the External Effect of Household Behavior: The Case of the Demand for Children," (with H. Li), Journal of Human Resources, (Fall 2009) 44(4): 890-915.
• "Do Population Control Policies Induce More Human Capital Investment? Twins, Birthweight, and China's 'One Child' Policy" (with Mark Rosenzweig), Review of Economic Studies, (July 2009) 76(3): 1149-1174.
• "Longevity, Retirement, and Capital Accumulation in a Recursive Model with an Application to Mandatory Retirement," (with Jie Zhang), Macroeconomic Dynamics, (June 2009) 13(3): 327-348.
• "The Heritability of Attitude toward Economic Risk," (with S. Zhong et al.), Twin Research and Human Genetics, (February 2009) 12 (1): 103-107.
• "Gender Preference, Biases Sex Ratio, and Parental Investments in Single-Child Households," (with C. M. Leung), Review of Economics of the Household, (June 2008) 6(2):91-110.
• "Human Capital Investment and Returns in China", with H. Li, Peking University Press, March 2008.
• "The Quantity-Quality Tradeoff of Children in a Developing Country: Identification Using Chinese Twins," (with H. Li and Yi Zhu), Demography, (February 2008) 45: 223-243.
• "Trends in the Gender Earnings Differential in Urban China, 1988-2004," (with J. Han, P.W. Liu and Y Zhao), Industrial & Labor Relations Review, (January 2008) 61: 224-242.
• "Optimal Social Security in a Dynastic Model with Investment Externalities and Endogenous Fertility," (with Jie Zhang), Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, (November 2007) 31(11): 3545-3567.
• "Testing the Collective Model of Household Labor Supply: Evidence from China," (with T.W. Chau, H. Li and P.W. Liu), China Economic Review, (2007) 18(4): 389-402.
• "The Cultural Revolution and Returns to Schooling in China: Estimates Based on Twins," (with P.W. Liu and L. Yung), Journal of Development Economics, (November 2007) 84(2): 631-639.
• "Economic Returns to Communist Party Membership: Evidence from Urban Chinese Twins" (with H. Li, P.W. Liu and N. Ma), Economic Journal, (October 2007) 117: 1504-1520.
• "Effects of Longevity and Dependency Rates on Saving and Growth: Evidence from a Panel of Cross Countries," (with H. Li and Jie Zhang), Journal of Development Economics, (September 2007) 84: 138-154.
• "Do High Birth Rates Hamper Economic Growth?" (with H. Li), Review of Economics & Statistics, (February 2007) 89(1): 110-117.
• "Why Do Entrepreneurs Enter Politics? Evidence from China," (with H. Li and L. Meng), Economic Inquiry, (July 2006) 44(3): 559-578.
• "Relative Earnings of Husbands and Wives in Urban China," (with H. Li et al.), China Economic Review, (2006) 17(4): 412-431.
• "Health Investment, Saving and Public Policy," (with Jie Zhang and M.C.M. Leung), Canadian Journal of Economics, (2006) 39(1): 68-93.
• "Economic Returns to Schooling in Urban China, 1988 to 2001," (with Zhao, A. Park and X. Song), Journal of Comparative Economics, (December 2005) 33: 730-752.
• "Parental Childcare and Children's Educational Attainment: Evidence from China," (with H. Li. et al.), Applied Economics, (2005) 37: 2067-2076.
• "Why Many Eligible Individuals Choose Not to Go on Welfare" (with Pak-Wai Liu and Jie Zhang), Economic Inquiry, (April 2005) 43(2): 385-400.
• "The Effect of Life Expectancy on Fertility, Saving, Schooling and Economic Growth: Theory and Evidence" (with Jie Zhang), Scandinavian Journal of Economics, (March 2005) 107(1): 45-66.
• "The Chinese Labor Market: New Quantitative Studies" (Introduction to the special issue with Orley Ashenfelter as guest editors), Pacific Economic Review, (October 2004) 9(3).
• "How Does Social Security Affect Economic Growth? Evidence from Cross-Country Data" (with Jie Zhang), Journal of Population Economics, (August 2004) 17(3): 473-500.
• "An Economic Analysis of Life Expectancy by Gender with Application to the United States" (with C.M. Leung and Jie Zhang), Journal of Health Economics, (July 2004) 23(4): 737-759.
• "Occupational Segregation and Wage Differentials between Natives and Immigrants: Evidence from Hong Kong" (with P.W. Liu and S.C. Chong), Journal of Development Economics, (2004) 73(1): 395-413.
• "Long-run Effects of Unfunded Social Security with Earnings-dependent Benefits" (with Jie Zhang), Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, (December 2003) 28(3): 617-641.
• "Marital Transfer and Intrahousehold Allocation: A Nash-Bargaining Analysis" (with W. Chan and W. Suen), Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, (2003) 52: 133-146.
• "Rising Longevity, Education, Saving, and Growth," (with Jie Zhang and Ronald Lee), Journal of Development Economics, (2003) 70: 83-101.
• "Testing Becker's Prediction on Assortative Mating on Spouses' Wages," (with P.W. Liu), Journal of Human Resources, (2003) 38: 99-110.
• "Dress for Success -- Does Primping Pay?" (with D. Hamermesh and X. Meng), Labour Economics, (2002) 9: 361-373.
• "International Inequality and Convergence in Educational Attainment: 1960-1990" (with T. Li), Review of Development Economics, (2002) 6: 383-392.
• "Counter-Compenstory Inter-Vivos Transfers and Parental Altruism: Compatibility or Orthogonality?" (with O.Stark), Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, (2002) 47: 19-25.
• "Gender Wage Differentials and Occupational Segregation in Hong Kong, 1981-1996" (with Y.W. Sung and C.S. Chan), Pacific Economic Review, (October 2001) 6 (3): 345-359.
• "The Two-tier Labor Market in Urban China"(with X. Meng), Journal of Comparative Economics, (September 2001) 29: 485-504.
• "Bequest Motives, Social Security, and Economic Growth" (with Junxi Zhang), Economic Inquiry, (July 2001) 39 (3): 453-466.
• "Mortality Decline and Long-run Economic Growth"(with Jie Zhang and R. Lee), Journal of Public Economics, (2001) 80:485-507.
• "Longevity and Economic Growth in a Dynastic Family Model with an Annuity Market"(with Jie Zhang), Econmics Letters, (July 2001) 72(2):269-277.
• "The Identification of Unobservable Independent and Spousal Leisure" (with Y.F. Fong), Journal of Political Economy, (February 2001) 109 (1):191-202.
• "Sectoral Gender Wage Differentials and Discrimination in the Transitional Chinese Economy" (with P.W. Liu and X. Meng), Journal of Population Economics, (May 2000) 13: 331-352.
• "Sex Preference, Marriage of Heirs, and Bequest Behavior", Japanese Economic Review, (March 2001) 52 (1):70-76.
• "Gender Bias and Economic Development in an Endogenous Growth Model" (with Jie Zhang and T. Li), Journal of Development Economics,(August 1999) 59:497-525.
• "Dowry and Wife's Welfare: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis" (with W. Chan), Journal of Political Economy, (August 1999) 107 (4) : 786-808.
• "Social Security, Intergenerational Transfers, and Endogenous Growth" (with Junxi Zhang), Canadian Journal of Economics, (November 1998) 31 (5):1225-1241.
• "Returns to Education under Collective and Household Farming in China" (with T. Li), Journal of Development Economics, (August 1998) 56(2):307-335.
• "Dynamic Microeconomic Models of Fertility Choice: A Survey" (with C.R. Arroyo), Journal of Population Economics, (February 1997) 10(1):23-65.
• "The Effects of Gender Control on Fertility and Children's Welfare" (with J. B. Davies), Journal of Population Economics, (February 1997) 10(1):67-85.
• "Fertility and Wage Rates in an Overlapping Generations General Equilibrium Model" (with Jie Zhang), Canadian Journal of Economics, (February 1997) 30(1): 224-234.
• "The Effect of Welfare Programs on Criminal Behavior: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis", Economic Inquiry, (January 1997) 35(1):120-137.
• "Measuring Federal Marginal Tax Rates for Individuals in Canada: Averages and Distributions Over Time" (with J.B. Davies), Canadian Journal of Economics, (November 1996) 29(4): 959-975.
• "Do Men with Higher Wages Marry Earlier and Later?" Economics Letters, (1995) 49: 193-196.
• "The Effects of Social Security on Population and Output Growth" (with Junxi Zhang), Southern Economic Journal, (October 1995) 62(2): 440-450.
• "Sustainable Plans of Social Security" (with K. Nishimura), Oxford Economic Papers, (1995) 47:182-194.
• "Gender Bias, Investments in Children and Bequests" (with J.B. Davies), International Economic Review, (August 1995) 36(3): 795-818.
• "The Effect of Tax-Transfer Policies on Fertility in Canada, 1921-1988" (with J. Quan and P. Van Meerbergen), Journal of Human Resources, (1994) 29: 181-201.
• "Bequest as a Public Good within Marriage: A Note", Journal of Political Economy, (1994) 102: 187-193.
• "When Do Couples Sign the One-Child Certificate in Urban China?" (with R. Sturm), Population Research and Policy Review, (1994) 13: 69-81.
• "Socioeconomic Determinants of Fertility in Hebei Province, China: An Application of the Sequential Logit Approach", Economic Development and Cultural Change, (1994) 43:67-90.
• "Carrying Excess Capacity to Deter Entry in a Labor-managed Industry", Canadian Journal of Economics, (1993) 26: 222-234.
• "Breath Testing in Canada: Deterrence or Detection?" (with L. Rhee), Applied Economics, (1993) 25: 765-775.
• "Old-age Security Hypothesis Reconsidered" (with K. Nishimura), Journal of Development Economics, (1993) 41: 191-202.
• "Fecundibility and Social Development in China: Changes in the Distribution of the First Conception Interval" (with R. Sturm), Biometrical Journal, (1993) 35: 985- 995.
• "Pay-as-you-go Public Pensions with Endogenous Fertility" (with K. Nishimura), Journal of Public Economics, (1992) 48: 239-258.
• "Who Signs China's One-Child Certificate, and Why?" (with B.G. Spencer), Journal of Population Economics, (1992) 5: 203-215.
• "Socioeconomic Determinants of Fertility in China: A Microeconometric Analysis", Journal of Population Economics, (1990) 3: 105-123.
• "Mortality and Fertility: How Large is the Direct Child Replacement Effect in China?" Journal of Population Economics, (1990) 3: 303-314.

Publications in Local Newspapers

• "Five Working Days: Good or Bad?," MingPao, A16, March 2, 2006 (with J. Han) (in Chinese).
• "Comparing Pearl River Delta and Yangtse River Delta from the Perspective of Labour Force Resources," MingPao, A6, October 6, 2005 (with S. Zhou) (in Chinese).
• "Crisis Management of the Hong Kong Government," Hong Kong Economic Journal, Economic Commentary, June 2, 2003 (with S. Zhou) (in Chinese).
• "A Further Look at Mandatory Provident Fund in Hong Kong," Hong Kong Economic Journal, Economic Commentary, December 17, 2001 (in Chinese).
• "A Reasonable Choice Based on Theory and Reality," Hong Kong Economic Journal, Economic Commentary, December 15, 2001 (in Chinese).
• "Sending High School Students to the Universities: Learning from the Mainland," Hong Kong Economic Times, November 30, 2000 (in Chinese).
• "Insufficient Education Investment in Hong Kong," Ming Pao Daily, September 11, 2000, A25 (with C. Leung) (in Chinese).
• "Education Policy and Economic Growth," Hong Kong Economic Journal Monthly, July 2000, Volume 280, pages 46-47 (with C. Leung) (in Chinese).
• "The Economics of Marital Mating," China Financial and Economic News (published by the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China), June 9, 2000 (in Chinese).
• "Exploring the Truth of the Return to Education," Hong Kong Economic Journal, Economic Commentary, September 28, 1999 (with L. Yung) (in Chinese).
• "Legislation to Mandate Maintenance of Building (Flats) by Property Owners," Hong Kong Economic Journal, Economic Commentary, September 14, 1999 (in Chinese).
• "Recipients of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance May Contribute to the Environmental Greening of Hong Kong," Apple Daily, F1 (Apple Commentary), August 21, 1999 (in Chinese).
• "Lower Wages by Immigrants are Not Necessarily Due to Discrimination," Hong Kong Economic Times, A23, May 25, 1999 (with S.C. Chong) (in Chinese).
• "How the Government Miscalculates the Unemployment Rate, " Hong Kong Economic Times, A19, May 8, 1999 (in Chinese).