Heterogeneous impact of digital economy on employment quality of female migrant workers in an emerging economy: Evidence from China

High-quality employment of female migrant workers empowers women and boosts economic development. However, female migrant workers in China face dual disadvantages from gender and migration status, lowering employment quality. The digital economy presents new opportunities to mitigate these disparities. We find a robust positive impact of the digital economy on female migrants’ employment quality and gender equality in the Chinese labor market. The positive impact manifests across key dimensions of employment quality, including economic security and stability, career development potential, work autonomy and life balance, and psychological and social well-being. The impact differs among female migrant workers with different labor skills, ages, family decision makers, influences of Confucian culture, and regions. Mechanism analysis shows that the digital economy enhances the employment quality of female migrant workers by alleviating the burden of family caregiving responsibilities. We also explore different mechanisms according to different industries. In addition, digital literacy and childcare resources affect the enabling effect of digital economy on the employment quality of female migrant workers. The conclusions provide an empirical basis for the government to formulate targeted policies such as gender equality, digital skills training and inclusive care services.