Does Vertical Fiscal Imbalance Affect the Transfer of Rural Surplus Labor?
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[15] Liu XG, Zhang X, Fang WQ, 2015, The Urban-Rural Income Distribution Effect of Infrastructure: From the Perspective of Labor Transfer. The Journal of World Economy, 38(3): 145–170.
[16] Feng HB, Fang YZ, 2014, An Analysis of the Environmental Effects of Local Fiscal Expenditure: An Empirical Investigation Based on Chinese Cities. Finance & Trade Economics, (2): 30–43 + 74." />

Keywords

Vertical fiscal imbalance
Rural surplus labor transfer
Effectiveness of human capital investment
Economic growth rate

DOI

10.26689/pbes.v9i7.15701

Published : 2026-07-30

Abstract

This paper explores the theoretical mechanisms through which vertical fiscal imbalance influences the transfer of rural surplus labor. Using provincial-level panel data from 1998 to 2017, it empirically examines the effects of vertical fiscal imbalance on this labor transfer process. The findings indicate that: (1) Currently, vertical fiscal imbalance has a significant direct hindering effect on the transfer of rural surplus labor. (2) Vertical fiscal imbalance hinders the transfer of the rural labor force by slowing down regional economic growth and limiting the effectiveness of regional human capital investment. The indirect effect of the former is weaker than the indirect effect of the latter.

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