How intergenerational mobility shapes migrant workers’ job quality: A multi- level empirical analysis in China

Intergenerational mobility exerts an important impact on the employment quality of the agricultural migrant population. Limited attention has been given to how intergenerational mobility influences the employment quality of rural-to-urban migrants. This study assessed this relationship by constructing an urban intergenerational mobility index and analysing the China Migrants Dynamic Survey data. Results indicate that intergenerational mobility significantly improves employment quality by promoting digital economy development and enhancing access to educational public service. The effect of education on employment quality follows an inverted U-shape relationship and is more prominent in cities with less fiscal pressure and those home to new generations of agricultural migrant populations. These findings demonstrate how intergenerational mobility indirectly improves employment quality by stimulating economic vitality and optimising the allocation of educational resources.