Abstract:

Using Baidu migration data from 2019 to 2023, networks of labor migration in China were constructed in this study. Social network analysis methods, a temporal exponential random graph model (TERGM), and a spatial econometric model were employed to examine the influences of urban amenity on the probability and strength of relationships within labor migration networks, further exploring their spatial interaction. This study revealed: (1) China’s interurban labor migration network exhibits temporal binary stability, forming a diamond-shaped structure centered on the urban clusters of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing. Dual-high node cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Dongguan are concentrated in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions, and the attractiveness of other urban clusters has also been increasing. The labor migration networks that were formed from 2019 to 2023 have shown distinct subgroup structures, and there has been frequent population movements between cities within subgroups. (2) The existence of urban amenity preferences has been proven during labor migrations, especially where greater man-made amenities have increased the probability of forming interurban labor migration networks, significantly impacting both population inflows and outflows. (3) The influence of urban amenities on the strength of labor migration path relationship leads to spatial spillover effects, and this impact also acts on other cities. This study expands the understanding of noncompensatory factors of regional disparity and mechanisms driving labor migration networks, which forms a significant scientific contribution to the evolution and driving forces of China’s labor migration networks.

Key words: labor migration, urban amenity, temporal exponential random graph model, spatial econometric model