Abstract

The objective of this article aims to examine the joint effects of education and work history on functional limitations in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) across cohorts born around 1949 who experienced the Cultural Revolution and the later economic reform. Data came from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The three cohorts were: pre-PRC cohort (born 1935–1944), PRC cohort (born 1945–1954), and late-PRC cohort (born 1955–1964). Predictors included education level, longest work type, and urban-rural household registration status (hukou). Multilevel negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the effects of predictors on functional limitations from 2011 to 2018. All analyses were stratified by cohorts. The results showed that education had a protective effect on rural jobs. This effect was particularly evident in those in the pre- and late-PRC cohorts with rural jobs. Among all cohorts, individuals with an original rural hukou displayed greater functional limitations, especially those who did not complete elementary school. Additionally, members of the PRC and late-PRC cohorts with an original urban hukou and low education had higher levels of functional limitations. The article concludes that increased returns to education after the economic reform resulted in a lower education penalty, particularly for the PRC and late-PRC cohorts. Having an original rural hukou was associated with higher levels of functional limitations across all types of work, especially among individuals with low education.