The Effect of Digital Economy Development on Labor Employment: Empirical Evidence From Listed Companies in China

The paper empirically examines the impact of the development of the digital economy on the employment scale and structure of China's listed companies. The results show that overall, digital economic development significantly improves the employment scale of listed companies in China. The development of the digital economy has significantly increased the share of high-skilled labor, medium- and high-skilled labor, and decreased the share of low- and medium-skilled labor and lowskilled labor. In employment positions, the development of the digital economy significantly increases the share of openings in accounting, sales, and other positions, especially in R&D. Furthermore, the employment creation effect of digital economic development is attributed to the effects of scale expansion and productivity, while the substitution of digital technology for low-skilled labor does not significantly hinder employment. The study has important implications for the digital economy and employment.