Doctoral Dissertation Title: “Essays in Human Resources“
Abstract: This study estimates the causal effect of access to paid sick time on worker mobility, by exploiting variation in the implementation of local paid sick time mandates over time in the U.S. I use May 2004 – June 2019 Current Population Survey (CPS) basic monthly data, and by taking a Difference-in-Differences approach, I find that the local mandates significantly reduce private sector employees’ monthly job turnover. This study is, to the best of my knowledge, the first to present the effect of local paid sick time mandates in the U.S. on worker mobility.
“The Effect of Access to Paid Sick Time on Fertility“
Abstract: This study estimates the causal effects of the paid sick time mandates in Connecticut, Washington, D.C. and Seattle on fertility. Since the local paid sick time mandates in the U.S. have been adopted recently, little is known about their impacts on childbirth. Connecticut was the first state in the U.S. to implement a paid sick time mandate in January 2012. The paid sick time mandates in Washington, D.C. and Seattle went into effect in November 2008 and September 2012, respectively. I use the Synthetic Control method, along with both 2004 – 2018 Fertility Supplement data from Current Population Survey (CPS), and 2006 – 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) data, to evaluate the impacts of the three paid sick time mandates on women’s choices about giving birth.
“Health Care Utilization of Migrant Workers in China“
Abstract: Migrant workers who move from rural to urban areas in China typically do not have adequate health insurance coverage where they work, because they get health insurance coverage based on their registered rural residence, and they incur higher copayments when they seek medical services in urban areas. Migrant workers are more likely to be exposed to pollution, workplace hazards and risks from traffic accidents relative to their rural counterparts who do not move. Moreover, they do not have the same health insurance coverage as urban workers who are born in urban areas, due to the household registration system in China. I use 2004 – 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data and compare migrant workers with rural residents who do not move, and with urban workers who have adequate insurance coverage, to investigate how inadequate insurance coverage affects the health care utilization of migrant workers.
