LAUSR

Common prosperity is an essential requirement of socialism and an important feature of China’s modernization. Based on panel data from 159 prefecture-level cities in China between 2010 and 2019, combined with a fixed-effects model, mediation regression model, and spatial Durbin model, this study empirically examines the impact and mechanism of labor mobility on common prosperity. The study found that (1) labor mobility can significantly promote the realization of common prosperity, and this conclusion is robust. (2) Labor mobility has a significant mediating effect on the improvement in the common prosperity level by promoting economic growth spillovers and return effects. (3) The impact of labor mobility on common prosperity is heterogeneous, with regions with lower mobility costs and more developed economies showing stronger promotion effects. Based on the research findings, policy recommendations include breaking down barriers to mobility, protecting the rights of farmers, and establishing regional cooperation mechanisms.