Dehua Li
Welcome! I am a PhD candidate in Economics at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow.
I am lucky to be advised by Alex Trew and Tuuli Vanhapelto.
I was a visiting PhD student at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona) in Fall 2025, and I am very grateful to my host, Dávid Nagy.
My research interests lie in macro-development,
quantitative spatial economics, and economic history.
My CV is available here.
Email: dehua.li@glasgow.ac.uk
Research
Job Market Paper
“Paper Title”
[Abstract] Coming soon!
Working Papers
“Gender Skill Gaps and Gender Inequality Along the Wage Distribution”
Revise and Resubmit, Labor Economics
[Abstract] Gender differences in labor market outcomes tend to be especially pronounced among top earners. Using the international PIAAC dataset, this paper shows that such ‘glass ceilings’ can also be observed for numeracy skills, i.e. competencies with large labor market returns. Women at the top of the wage distribution have both lower numeracy scores and lower returns to higher levels of numeracy compared to men, suggesting that numeracy skills may play an important role in our understanding of well-known gender gaps in labor market outcomes. These numeracy-wage patterns are especially pronounced for parents and for those with their highest degree in a non-STEM field of study, which speaks in favor of the importance of these life decisions for skill evolution. Our paper argues that – despite the increasing educational equality – there exist inequalities in skills among adult men and women, and these may impede the convergence of the gender wage gap.
“Free Banking in China: Indirect Issuance of Banknotes, 1905–1936”
[Abstract] Coming soon!!!
Work in Progress
“Work in Progress Title”