The Nobel Prize in Economics this year has gone to Professor Claudia Goldin of Harvard University for her research in advancing our understanding of women's labor force participation. The topic of her research is very relevant to the times we live in — why do women always earn less than men?

By analyzing data from as far back as the late 18th century, Goldin found that even though women's participation in the labor force has increased with the development of the service sector, the gender-related wage gap has increased from 20 percent to 55 percent. The reason, Goldin believes, is childbirth. Goldin and many of her collaborators, including her husband who is a labor economist himself, found that the income gap between women and men was relatively small before childbirth; it widened thereafter.

This study serves as a reminder that advancing gender equality in the labor market requires collective efforts from society, including in the sharing of responsibilities such as rearing a newborn.

Childbearing and child-rearing cannot solely be the concerns of women. They have a direct bearing on the continuity of families and the prosperity of communities and nations. The benefits of childbearing are multifaceted, but the costs and responsibilities of bearing and raising children often fall disproportionately on women, which is inherently unfair.

This necessitates measures to share the costs of childbirth and ensure the property rights of women after childbirth to balance the income gap that follows. Goldin's research on the gender-related wage gap is highly relevant in a world characterized by declining birth rates and an increasingly scarce labor force.

Especially noteworthy is the fact that Goldin, though 77 years old, is actively at the forefront of economic research. She consistently publishes several cutting-edge research papers every year. Her dedication serves as an inspiration to every aspiring scholar, encouraging them to engage with reality, explore continuously, and strive to scale the heights of scientific knowledge for the benefit of society.

- BEIJING NEWS