Abstract:

Rural labor force is a key group in ensuring stable employment, but there is a lack of focused research on the impact of the increasingly widening digital divide on the employment status of rural labor force. This article analyzes the impact of the digital divide on the employment status of rural labor force using data from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies. The study reveals that the digital divide is not conducive to rural labor employment, and the conclusion still holds true after adding the main control variables and regional dummy variables. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the digital divide has a greater negative impact on the employment of the “older generation,” “high skilled,” and local rural labor. Further mechanism analysis reveals that the digital divide mainly hinders rural labor employment by weakening information access channels. This study provides empirical support for bridging the digital divide in the current context of informatization, and the conclusions have important policy implications for promoting stable employment of millions of rural laborers.

Key words: rural labor force, digital divide, employment status, keep employment stable