Policy effects of reduced pension contribution rate on innovation input--Empirical evidence from Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.

Reducing pension insurance rates is an important measure for lowering the burden on enterprises. Does this measure encourage enterprises to invest in innovation? This study uses provincial panel data of China during 2000-2017 to analyze the reduction in the proportion of enterprise contributions to...

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Main Authors: Zimian He, Jianwei Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2024-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315841
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author Zimian He
Jianwei Xu
author_facet Zimian He
Jianwei Xu
author_sort Zimian He
collection DOAJ
description Reducing pension insurance rates is an important measure for lowering the burden on enterprises. Does this measure encourage enterprises to invest in innovation? This study uses provincial panel data of China during 2000-2017 to analyze the reduction in the proportion of enterprise contributions to pension insurance in Zhejiang and Shandong provinces as a quasi-natural experiment. Specifically, it uses the synthetic control method to construct a counterfactual state of the treatment group, and analyzes the effect of fee reduction policy on enterprise innovation input. Taking R&D intensity as a proxy for innovation input, the study finds that the cost reduction policy has a significant promoting effect on innovation input. Although the reduction of pension insurance rate in Shandong is smaller than that in Zhejiang, the net effect of policy on R&D intensity is higher than that in Zhejiang. This study uses a placebo test, permutation test, and difference-in-differences method to carry out robustness checks, and confirms that the results are reliable, showing that the reduction of pension premium is conducive to the increase in enterprises' R&D intensity. However, owing to different economic development cycles in different regions, the net effect of pension premium reduction on enterprise innovation shows heterogeneity.
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spelling doaj-art-3b2e8609c68e44699723a3c4da4afa482025-08-20T02:35:31ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-011912e031584110.1371/journal.pone.0315841Policy effects of reduced pension contribution rate on innovation input--Empirical evidence from Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.Zimian HeJianwei XuReducing pension insurance rates is an important measure for lowering the burden on enterprises. Does this measure encourage enterprises to invest in innovation? This study uses provincial panel data of China during 2000-2017 to analyze the reduction in the proportion of enterprise contributions to pension insurance in Zhejiang and Shandong provinces as a quasi-natural experiment. Specifically, it uses the synthetic control method to construct a counterfactual state of the treatment group, and analyzes the effect of fee reduction policy on enterprise innovation input. Taking R&D intensity as a proxy for innovation input, the study finds that the cost reduction policy has a significant promoting effect on innovation input. Although the reduction of pension insurance rate in Shandong is smaller than that in Zhejiang, the net effect of policy on R&D intensity is higher than that in Zhejiang. This study uses a placebo test, permutation test, and difference-in-differences method to carry out robustness checks, and confirms that the results are reliable, showing that the reduction of pension premium is conducive to the increase in enterprises' R&D intensity. However, owing to different economic development cycles in different regions, the net effect of pension premium reduction on enterprise innovation shows heterogeneity.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315841
spellingShingle Zimian He
Jianwei Xu
Policy effects of reduced pension contribution rate on innovation input--Empirical evidence from Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.
PLoS ONE
title Policy effects of reduced pension contribution rate on innovation input--Empirical evidence from Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.
title_full Policy effects of reduced pension contribution rate on innovation input--Empirical evidence from Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.
title_fullStr Policy effects of reduced pension contribution rate on innovation input--Empirical evidence from Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.
title_full_unstemmed Policy effects of reduced pension contribution rate on innovation input--Empirical evidence from Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.
title_short Policy effects of reduced pension contribution rate on innovation input--Empirical evidence from Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.
title_sort policy effects of reduced pension contribution rate on innovation input empirical evidence from zhejiang and shandong provinces
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315841
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