当代经济科学2025，Vol.47Issue(5)：113-128,16.DOI:10.20069/j.cnki.DJKX.202505008
长期护理保险、劳动就业与个体收入不平等
Long-Term Care Insurance,Employment and Individual Income Inequality
摘要
Abstract
China faces the dual challenges of population aging and income distribution imbalance.The economic burden on disabled families and the constrains on the labor supply due to informal care needs have exacerbated the"relative deprivation"of low-income groups.As an important institutional innovation to address aging,the impact of long-term care insurance(LTCI)on income distribution requires in-depth exploration. This study incorporates individual relative income deprivation into the evaluation framework of LTCI's micro-welfare effects,examining its influence on household income inequality.First,based on Becker's household decision-making theory,we construct a theoretical framework to reveal the underlying mechanisms through which LTCI influences income inequality.Subsequently,using five waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)from 2011 to 2020,we employ the difference-in-differences(DID)method for empirical testing.Our findings suggest that LTCI effectively alleviates household income inequality.Compared to high-income groups,LTCI has a more significant positive effect on income growth in low-income households.This is primarily because LTCI not only reduces caregiving burdens and significantly increases the employment probability of informal caregivers but also promotes the development of the eldercare industry,creating more job opportunities for low-skilled workers and vulnerable groups.Furthermore,LTCI is particularly beneficial in reducing income inequality for families with stronger preferences for informal care and higher economic vulnerability.The policy effects of LTCI in reducing income inequality are more pronounced in regions with lower healthcare service accessibility and better local government fiscal conditions.Further analysis indicates that LTCI not only facilitates upward social mobility for low-income households but also reduces the risk of high-income households falling into poverty. This study contributes to the existing literature in three key aspects.First,unlike previous studies that primarily focus on the equity effects of LTCI from a group perspective,we construct a household-level income inequality indicator using an individual relative deprivation index and empirically examine the impact of LTCI on household income inequality.This supplements research on the micro-welfare effects of LTCI.Second,while existing studies highlight LTCI's role in easing caregiving burdens,fostering the eldercare industry,and promoting employment,there is limited research on how these pathways influence income distribution patterns.This paper explores,both theoretically and empirically,whether and how LTCI affects labor market participation across different income groups,thereby shaping income inequality.Third,most studies analyze LTCI's employment and income effects from a static perspective,whereas this study expands the scope by adopting a dynamic perspective to examine its impact on household income mobility,aiming to provide a comprehensive assessment of LTCI's long-term contribution to household income growth. By analyzing the effects and mechanisms of China's LTCI pilot program on micro-level household income inequality from both static and dynamic perspectives,this study provides new insights into the income distribution regulatory function of social security policies in an aging society.It also offers theoretical support for optimizing LTCI policy design to better serve low-income groups and contribute to the goal of achieving common prosperity.关键词
长期护理保险/收入不平等/低收入家庭/劳动就业/养老护理产业Key words
long-term care insurance/income inequality/low-income households/labor employment/elderly care industry引用本文复制引用
金双华,高冉冉..长期护理保险、劳动就业与个体收入不平等[J].当代经济科学,2025,47(5):113-128,16.基金项目
国家社会科学基金重点项目"财政性社会保障收支政策对收入分配调节路径的国际经验研究"(17AJY025) （17AJY025）
辽宁省社会科学规划基金重点建设学科项目"共同富裕视角下辽宁省财政性社会保障收支政策对收入分配调节效应研究"(L23ZD021). （L23ZD021）
