Selected economics journal articles (* Corresponding author):
Atalay, K., Staneva, A., and Zhu, R.* (2026). "Integration or isolation? The impact of retirement on social capital."
Journal of Human Resources, forthcoming.
Clark, A.E. and Zhu, R.* (2024). "Taking back control? Quasi-experimental evidence on the impact of retirement on locus of control."
Economic Journal, 134, 1465–1493.
Zhu, R.* and Onur, I. (2023). "Does retirement (really) increase informal caregiving? Quasi-experimental evidence from Australia."
Journal of Health Economics, 87, 102713.
Zhu, R.* (2021). "Retirement and voluntary work provision: Evidence from the Australian Age Pension reform."
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 190, 674–690.
Huang, B. and Zhu, R.* (2020). "Peer effects of low-ability students in the classroom: Evidence from China's middle schools."
Journal of Population Economics, 33, 1343–1380.
Other economics journal articles:
Sinha, K.*, Magnani, E., and Zhu, R. (2026). "From entry to persistence: Socio-emotional skills and entrepreneurial profiles."
Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 121, 102519.
Cavoli, T, Zhu, R.*, and Onur, I. (2025). "Retirement and weight stability: Panel evidence from Australia."
Economic Analysis and Policy, 88, 1670–1684.
Staneva, A.*, Zhang, Q., and Zhu, R. (2025). "Right time to focus? Time of day and cognitive performance."
The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 25, 781–791.
Kakhkharov, J., Onur, I.*, Yalcin, E., and Zhu, R. (2024). "Global evidence on the Russia–Ukraine conflict and energy stock returns."
International Review of Economics and Finance, 93, 413–435.
Nong, H., Zhang, Q., Zhu, H., and Zhu, R.* (2022). "Targeted poverty alleviation and children's academic performance in China."
Review of Income and Wealth, 68, 951–969.
Lu, H.*, Kandilov, I.T., and Zhu, R. (2022). "Does social integration matter for cohort differences in the political participation of internal migrants in China?"
Review of Development Economics, 26, 1555–1573.
Clark, A.E., D'Ambrosio, C., Onur, I., and Zhu, R.* (2022). "COVID-19 compliance behaviors of older people: The role of cognitive and non-cognitive skills."
Economics Letters, 210, 110158.
Clark, A.E., D'Ambrosio, C., and Zhu, R.* (2021). "Job quality and workplace gender diversity in Europe."
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 183, 420–432.
Clark, A.E., D'Ambrosio, C., and Zhu, R.* (2021). "Living in the shadow of the past: Financial profiles and well-being."
Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 123, 910–939.
Wang, H. and Zhu, R.* (2021). "Social spillovers of China's left-behind children in the classroom."
Labour Economics, 69, 101958.
Huang, B., Lu, H., and Zhu, R.* (2021)."Disabled peers and student performance: Quasi-experimental evidence from China."
Economics of Education Review, 82, 102121.
Clark, A.E., Nong, H., Zhu, H., and Zhu, R.* (2021)."Compensating for academic loss: Online learning and student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic."
China Economic Review, 68, 101629. [Elsevier China Economic Review Best Paper Award 2023]
Zhou, Y., Zheng, X., and Zhu, R.* (2020). "Second language skills and labor market outcomes: Evidence from the handover of Hong Kong."
China Economic Review, 59, 101366.
Lu, H., Kandilov, I.T., and Zhu, R.* (2020). "The impact of internal migration on the health of rural migrants: Evidence from longitudinal data in China."
Journal of Development Studies, 56, 840–855.
Gong, X. and Zhu, R.* (2019). "Cognitive abilities, non-cognitive skills, and gambling behaviors."
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 165, 51–69.
Wang, H. and Zhu, R.* (2019). "China's only children and their spillover effects on academic performance in the classroom."
The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 19, 20190058.
Magnani, E. and Zhu, R.* (2018). "Does kindness lead to happiness? Voluntary activities and subjective well-being."
Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 77, 20–28.
Atalay, K.* and Zhu, R. (2018). "The effect of a wife's retirement on her husband's mental health."
Applied Economics, 50, 4606–4616.
Mahuteau, S., Mavromaras, K., Richardson, S., and Zhu, R.* (2017). "Public–private sector wage differentials in Australia."
Economic Record, 93, S105–S121.
Zhu, R.* (2017). "The impact of public smoking bans on smoking behaviour: Evidence from an Australian experiment."
The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 17, 20170064.
Zhu, R.* and Chen, L. (2016). "Overeducation, overskilling and mental well-being."
The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 16, 20150187.
Mahuteau, S. and Zhu, R.* (2016). "Crime victimisation and subjective well-being: Panel evidence from Australia."
Health Economics, 25, 1448–1463.
Qin, Y., Zhu, H., and Zhu, R.* (2016). "Changes in the distribution of land prices in urban China during 2007–2012."
Regional Science and Urban Economics, 57, 77–90.
Zhu, H., Deng, Y.*, He. X., and Zhu, R. (2016). "Fear of nuclear power? Evidence from Fukushima nuclear accident and land markets in China."
Regional Science and Urban Economics, 60, 139–154.
He. X. and Zhu, R.* (2016). "Fertility and female labour force participation: Causal evidence from urban China."
Manchester School, 84, 664–674.
Zhu, R.* (2016). "Wage differentials between urban residents and rural migrants in urban China during 2002–2007: A distributional analysis."
China Economic Review, 37, 2–14.
Mavromaras, K. and Zhu, R.* (2015). "Labour force participation of older men in Australia: The role of spousal participation."
Oxford Economic Papers, 67, 310–333.
Zhu, R.* and He, X. (2015). "How does women's life satisfaction respond to retirement? A two-stage analysis."
Economics Letters, 137, 118–122.
Magnani, E. and Zhu, R.* (2015). "Social mobility and inequality in urban China: Understanding the role of intergenerational transmission of education."
Applied Economics, 47, 4590–4606.
Zhu, R.* (2015). "Heterogeneity in the economic returns to schooling among Chinese rural–urban migrants, 2002–07."
Economics of Transition, 23, 135–167.
Goode, A., Mavromaras, K., and Zhu, R.* (2014). "Family income and child health in China."
China Economic Review, 29, 152–165.
Zhu, R.* (2014). "The impact of major–job mismatch on college graduates' early career earnings: Evidence from China."
Education Economics, 22, 511–528.
Magnani, E. and Zhu, R.* (2012). "Gender wage differentials among rural–urban migrants in China."
Regional Science and Urban Economics, 42, 779–793.
Zhu, R.* (2011). "Individual heterogeneity in returns to education in urban China during 1995–2002."
Economics Letters, 113, 84–87.
Interdisciplinary journal articles:
Lu, H., Hu, W., Zhu, R., and Zeng, K.* (2025). "Educational inequality and urban-rural disparities in subjective well-being in China."
International Journal of Educational Development, 118, 103411.
Lu, H., Tong, P., and Zhu, R.* (2020). "Longitudinal evidence on social trust and happiness in China: Causal effects and mechanisms."
Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 1841–1858.
Lu, H.*, Tong, P., and Zhu, R. (2020). "Does internet use affect netizens' trust in government? Empirical evidence from China."
Social Indicators Research, 149, 167–185.
Clark, A.E., D'Ambrosio, C., and Zhu, R.* (2019). "Crime victimisation over time and sleep quality."
SSM – Population Health, 7, 100401.
Zhu, R.* (2016). "Retirement and its consequences for women's health in Australia."
Social Science & Medicine, 163, 117–125.
Cebulla, A.* and Zhu, R. (2016). "Disability, and social and economic inclusion: Who is in and out of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme?"
Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 18, 256–268.
Chambers, G.M.*, Hoang, V.P., Zhu, R., and Illingworth, P.J. (2012). "A reduction in public funding for fertility treatment – an econometric analysis of access to treatment and savings to government."
BMC Health Services Research, 12, 142.