The 42nd Xi Xian Forum, co-organised by IIDPF and the School of Public Finance and Taxation, was successfully held on 14th September 2023 in Room 119 of Wenqin Building. Associate Professor Wang Ruiting from the School of Public Finance and Taxation of Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, as the keynote speaker of the forum, gave a speech titled "How does the application of industrial robots affect young people's marriage and parenting behaviour?" The academic forum was chaired by Associate Professor Zhao Ying from the School of Public Finance and Taxation, with the participation of more than thirty faculty members and students, including Professor Ma Yuanyuan, Associate Professor Zhang Ziyao, Dr Wang Shiaoxiao, and researchers Dr Wan Xin and Dr Wan Qian.
In the post COVID era, with increasing downward pressure on the economy, is the trend of automation technology represented by industrial robots further aggravating the trend of low fertility rate and low marriage rate in China? Using IFR industrial robot data and census data, Wang Ruiting decomposed the industrial robot data at the national-industry level to the regional level, measured the penetration of industrial robots at the county level, and based on this, estimated the impact of robot applications on the marriage and childbearing behaviours of young people's groups. The findings suggest that automation technology applications reduce the utility difference between women's married and single statuses and decrease women's fertility intentions by narrowing the gender wage gap. Specifically, for every 1 per cent increase in regional robot penetration, young people's first marriages are delayed by about 1 month, the number of divorces per 1,000 people increases by about 6, and the number of children per 1,000 females decreases by about 175, and it is further found that there is a greater negative impact on the birth of boys than on the birth of girls.
Associate Professor Wang Ruiting gave a wonderful speech to the faculty and students present and at the same time triggered their in-depth thinking. In the discussion session, the attending faculty and students enthusiastically spoke and actively interacted regarding the research background, theoretical models and empirical evidence.