Structural and Heterogeneous Gender Gaps in Youth Employment Quality: Evidence from China

Abstract Based on data from the 2016 and 2022 waves of the China family panel studies (CFPS), this study employs unconditional quantile regression and the RIF-Oaxaca decomposition method to systematically examine gender disparities and their evolving mechanisms in the employment quality of young people in China. The findings reveal that young women face significant constraints in accessing high-quality employment, with gender gaps exhibiting a “glass ceiling” pattern characterized by “high-end differentiation.” Decomposition results indicate that this inequality primarily stems from structural inequities in market return mechanisms rather than differences in individual endowments, placing women in a predicament of “high input but low return.” Moreover, marriage and family responsibilities impose a pronounced “motherhood penalty” on women, with heterogeneous effects across the distribution of employment quality. The study underscores that gender inequality in youth employment quality has deep-seated heterogeneity and structural roots. Accordingly, policy interventions should focus on dismantling structural barriers, optimizing return mechanisms, and improving tiered family support policies to effectively promote employment equity and sustainable development among the youth.