China’s transformation to a market-oriented economy has been
accompanied by a significant increase in the pay gap between men
and women. In many industrialized economies, gender-based
differences are most pronounced in white-collar jobs, creating a
“glass ceiling” for women who work in the office. But as China
industrializes, gender pay differences are most striking among
blue-collar workers. In this video interview, economists Li Bo
and Chi Wei from China’s Tsinghua University consider whether
China’s female factory workers labor on a “sticky floor.” The
professors are the recent recipients of the first McKinsey
Economics Award issued by the McKinsey China Council of Business
Economists. Janamitra Devan of the McKinsey Global Institute
conducted the interview in February 2009. Watch the video, or
read the transcript below. China’s ‘sticky floor’ Economic
success in China will hinge on fixing the gender inequality
among its workers. Gender inequality in China Chi Wei: China has
experienced a steady worsening