The mechanism and effects of new quality productive forces driving the improvement of employment quality

This study introduces new quality productive forces (NQPF) into the framework of employment quality research, constructs a two–sector labor market equilibrium model, and derives its mechanism of influence before conducting empirical tests using China's provincial panel data from 2013 to 2023. We find that: First, NQPF enhance labor attractiveness in their sectors by boosting green total factor productivity (GTFP), thereby increasing marginal output per unit of labor. Under conditions of free labor mobility and perfect competition, labor shifts from traditional sectors to NQPF–dominated sectors, driving employment structure evolution toward high value–added, skill–intensive, and green technology–intensive directions. This enhances overall employment quality. Second, NQPF exerts a significantly positive impact on employment quality, with “new–quality labor objects” serving as the primary driver, while the potential dividends from “new–quality laborers” and “new–quality labor resources” remain underutilized. Third, heterogeneity analysis indicates that NQPF promote employment quality more strongly in economically developed, knowledge–intensive regions with higher levels of NQPF. Conversely, in regions dominated by traditional industries with less developed economies and lower NQPF levels, the effect of NQPF on high-quality employment development remains relatively constrained. Fourth, mechanism tests reveal that NQPF primarily enhance employment quality by boosting GTFP. This study therefore clarifies the transmission mechanism linking NQPF and employment quality, providing a theoretical foundation for integrating labor economics with productivity theory and informing policy practice.