环境规制对劳动力就业技能结构的影响研究

Study on the Impact of Environmental Regulation on the Labor Employment Skill Structure

环境规制是影响劳动力就业的重要因素之一。已有研究大多着眼于环境规制和劳动力就业规模之间的关系,但将视角放在劳动力就业技能结构层面的研究较少。为此,在阐述环境规制对劳动力就业技能结构作用机制的基础上,基于2004—2019年中国省级面板数据,运用普通最小二乘(OLS)模型、面板固定效应(FE)模型和受限因变量(Tobit)模型估计环境规制对劳动力就业技能结构的直接影响,并基于结构方程模型构建多重中介效应模型分析环境规制对劳动力就业技能结构的传导机制。研究结果表明:无论是运用OLS、FE还是Tobit模型,环境规制对劳动力就业技能结构均存在显著的正向影响,说明环境规制显著促进劳动力就业技能结构高级化;环境规制不仅直接通过技术创新、产业结构路径分别促进劳动力就业技能结构高级化,还通过促进技术创新推动产业结构转型升级,进而实现劳动力就业技能结构高级化;在上述的三条传导路径中,环境规制直接通过产业结构路径对劳动力就业技能结构的正向作用相对较大,直接通过技术创新路径对劳动力就业技能结构的正向作用相对较小。据此,进一步从政府层面提出因地制宜适度加强环境规制力度、加大技能培训和教育投入力度、加大对企业技术创新的政策支持力度等具体的对策与建议。

Based on the detailed explanation of the influence mechanism of environmental regulation on the labor employment skill structure and using the provincial panel data of China from 2004 to 2019,OLS model,FE model and Tobit model are used to test the direct effect of environmental regulation on the labor employment skill structure.Besides,the multiple mediation effect model based on structural equation model is used to analyze the transmission mechanism of environmental regulation to the labor employment skill structure.The research results are shown as follows:(1)Whether using OLS model,FE model or Tobit model,environmental regulation has a significant positive impact on the labor employment skill structure.The influence coefficients are 0.0828,0.2143 and 0.2169 respectively,and they are all significant at the 1%level,which indicates that environmental regulation increases enterprise production cost,stimulates technological innovation,and significantly promotes the advancement of the labor employment skill structure.(2)The estimated coefficients of the impact of environmental regulation on the labor employment skill structure through the technological innovation and industrial structure are 0.0791 and 0.1589 respectively.The estimated coefficient through the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure by stimulating technological innovation is 0.1468,and are all significant at the 1%level.It shows that environmental regulation promotes the advancement of the labor employment skill structure not only directly through technological innovation and industrial structure,but also indirectly through the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure by stimulating technological innovation.(3)The contribution rates of environmental regulation to the total mediation effect through technological innovation and industrial structure are 38.15%and 41.30%respectively.The contribution rate of environmental regulation to the total mediation effect through the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure by stimulating technological innovation is 20.56%.It can be seen that the direct promotion effect is mainly received through the industrial structure,while the direct effect through the technological innovation is relatively limited.Based on the above conclusions,in order to improve the environment quality and optimize the labor employment skill structure,the following policy recommendations are put forward:(1)Strengthen environmental regulation appropriately according to local conditions.In developing regions,in order to speed up economic development,the government should focus on market means and optimize resource allocation through measures such as environmental protection tax,emission trading and government subsidy to prevent excessive strengthening of environmental regulation.In developed regions,in order to improve the quality of economic development,the government should focus on administrative means,adopt strict standard of environmental regulation,guide enterprise to innovate in a clean way and develop the market of clean product.(2)Increase investment in skill training and ease the pressure of structural unemployment.In the short term,the government should increase skill training and vocational education for low-skilled workers,so that low-skilled workers can better adapt to the needs of enterprise for skilled labor.In the long run,the government should further increase education investment,improve education quality,and cultivate more high-skilled talents in order to cope with the urgent trend the demand for high-skilled talents.(3)Enhance policy support for technological innovation of enterprise and promote the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure.On one hand,the government should guide enterprise to increase investment in research and development,so as to create new employment fields and improve the labor employment skill structure.On the other hand,the government should further optimize industrial structure,transform traditional industries,develop emerging industries and support productive service industries,which can promote the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure and achieve higher quality employment.