Greening the labour market: how decarbonization reshapes wages for women and skilled workers in Taiwan

Purpose This study examines how decarbonization and business research and development (R&D) investment affect wages in Taiwan, with particular attention to skilled female employees during the transition to a low-carbon economy. Design/methodology/approach Using pooled cross-sectional data from 2015–2020, this study estimates wage equations incorporating industry and year fixed effects. Potential endogeneity is assessed using the Durbin–Wu–Hausman (DWH) test, while a Heckman two-stage model is employed to correct for sample selection bias. Findings The results show that R&D-led decarbonization has uneven wage effects among female employees. Skilled female employees benefit most from innovation-driven adjustment during the low-carbon transition. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by integrating decarbonization, R&D investment, and female wage outcomes within a unified framework. The findings highlight how green transitions can generate uneven labour-market effects and demonstrate the importance of skill formation and innovation policy in promoting inclusive growth.