The Value of Public Sector Employment in China

Last registered on September 25, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Value of Public Sector Employment in China
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0019718
Initial registration date
September 19, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
September 25, 2026, 10:02 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Dan Wang
Affiliation
Beijing normal university
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Yuan Tian
PI Affiliation
Beijing normal university
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-09-21
End date
2027-09-21
Keywords
Labor, Other
Additional Keywords
Public-Sector Employment; wages; field experiment
JEL code(s)
C93; J31; J24
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We conduct a field experiment in China to estimate the value individuals place on public-sector employment. We further examine potential sources of this value, focusing on marriage-market returns, employment security and benefits, career prospects, social and family recognition, and earnings expectations. Finally, we explore heterogeneity in the valuation of public-sector employment across individual characteristics.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Tian, Yuan and Dan Wang. 2026. "The Value of Public Sector Employment in China." AEA RCT Registry. September 25. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19718-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
n/a
Intervention Start Date
2026-09-21
Intervention End Date
2027-09-21

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
- Choice: Whether participants select alternative A over alternative B, reflecting their relative preference between job profiles.
- Implied outcome of interest: Willingness to pay (WTP) for public sector employment.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
n/a

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
n/a
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
n/a

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We conduct a field experiment in China to estimate the value individuals place on public-sector employment. We further examine potential sources of this value, focusing on marriage-market returns, employment security and benefits, career prospects, social and family recognition, and earnings expectations. Finally, we explore heterogeneity in the valuation of public-sector employment across individual characteristics.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Participants are randomly assigned to one of ten task blocks. The presentation order of attributes is randomized across participants and held fixed across all choice tasks for a given participant.
Randomization Unit
The unit of randomization is at the participant level.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
n/a
Sample size: planned number of observations
1000 participants (subject to change due to unpredictable sample attrition)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
n/a
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
n/a
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Science and Technology Ethics Committee of Shaanxi Normal University
IRB Approval Date
2026-09-14
IRB Approval Number
202616032
Analysis Plan

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information