数字经济时代互联网使用能否促进女性就业

Does Internet Usage Promote Female Employment in the Era of Digital Economy?

劳动力市场的性别差异是一种客观现象。数字经济时代,互联网的应用与发展对生产生活方式产生了巨大影响,女性的劳动参与和就业形态发生了深刻变化,劳动力市场的性别差异随之发生变化。本文基于中国家庭追踪调查2014年-2020年的面板数据,使用面板选择模型和工具变量法,估计数字经济时代互联网的应用对女性就业选择的影响,并探讨其作用机制。结果表明,互联网使用促进女性正规就业选择,但也会促使一部分女性退出劳动力市场。异质性分析进一步表明,互联网的使用对初中学历和本科以上学历的女性影响相对较大。互联网使用影响劳动力性别观念,完善劳动力市场信息,提高人力资本积累和转变传统性别观念是数字经济影响女性就业选择的作用渠道。

Gender differences persist in the urban labor market,primarily manifesting in such aspects as employment opportunities,occupational distribution,and wage.In the era of the digital economy,the development and application of the internet have significantly influenced production modes and people’s lifestyle,in which profound changes happen in terms of women’s paticipation in the labor market and thier employment forms,leading to changes of gender differences in the labor market.Utilizing panel data from the Chinese Household Panel Survey spanning 2014 to 2020,and employing the panel selection model along with the instrumental variable method,this study estimates the impact of internet usage on women’s employment decisions in the digital economy era,and explores its roles in mechanisms.The results are as follows:while internet usage boosts the likelihood of women engaging in formal employment,it makes some withdraw from the labor market,potentially widening the gender gap.Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the impact of internet use is more pronounced among women with either junior high school education or undergraduate degrees and above.Internet use impacts views on gender of labor force,improves information in the labor market,enhances human capital accumulation and changes traditional views on gender,all of which have some role in women’s choices on thier employment affected by digital economy.