Internet Usage and Non-Farm Employment of Rural Labor: Micro-Survey Data from Rural China

Under the dual background of rapid development of the digital economy and ongoing social transformation, fostering non-farm employment among rural laborers can effectively optimize resource allocation and propel rural economic growth. Consequently, this study empirically investigates the influence of Internet utilization on rural laborers’ non-farm employment and its underlying mechanisms, employing Probit models and utilizing data from 1,569 micro-surveys conducted in rural China. The findings indicate that (1) Internet usage significantly boosts non-farm employment, a result substantiated by rigorous endogeneity tests and robustness discussions. (2) This enhancing impact of Internet adoption on non-farm employment is particularly pronounced among age of 18–30, 51–59 individuals, those with educational attainment of elementary school and below, high /middle /technical school and above, and residents in the eastern regions. (3) Internet usage fosters non-farm employment by enhancing rural laborers’ access to vocational skills training and public services. Evidently, given China’s current emphasis on digital village construction and rural revitalization, the insights and mechanisms elucidated in this paper regarding the Internet’s influence on non-farm employment can serve as a valuable reference for advancing the employment prospects of migrant workers and facilitating urban-rural integration and development, among other objectives.