Impact of the Digital Economy on Rural Labor Mobility: A Data Analysis Based on the National Migrant Worker Monitoring Survey Reports (2015-2023)

Based on data from the National Migrant Worker Monitoring Survey Reports (2015-2023), this paper investigated the impact of the digital economy on rural labor mobility. Results indicate that the digital economy has significantly transformed the traditional mobility patterns. In terms of scale, the proportion of migrant workers moving across provinces decreased from 45.9% to 38.2%, which indicated a stronger preference for employment within provinces; In sectoral structure, employment in the tertiary sector continued to rise, reaching 53.8%, with steady growth in digital-related industries, such as wholesale, retail and transportation; In relation to income, the average monthly income of migrant workers increased at an annual rate of approximately 5.5%, with faster growth in local employment and a narrowing regional income gap. By creating local employment opportunities, reducing information barriers, and optimizing resource allocation, the digital economy has facilitated the localization, diversification, servitization of labor mobility, and provided new pathways for urban-rural integration and regional coordinated development.