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<p>Despite its demographic significance, the fertility intentions of China’s new-generation migrant workers remain underexplored in both academic and policy discourses. Drawing on Quality of Life Theory and informed by Social Identity Theory, this study investigates the association between Subjective Job Quality (SJQ) and short-term intentions to have another child. Using data from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS; <i>N</i> = 1,660), a composite index of SJQ is constructed and analyzed using a two-level mixed-effects logistic regression model. The results revealed a significant negative association between SJQ and short-term intentions to have another child, particularly among male respondents, those with only one child, and those in middle-income households. Subdimension analysis further showed that job safety satisfaction and job environment satisfaction were significantly negatively associated with short-term fertility intentions, while job promotion satisfaction was negatively associated only among migrant workers aged 30 or younger. These findings suggest that higher levels of SJQ may reflect a stronger preference for maintaining current work-life conditions, thereby reducing the likelihood of family expansion among this group. By introducing SJQ as an independent analytical dimension, this study also advances our understanding of how subjective job-related well-being is associated with fertility decisions. The findings provide empirical insights for enhancing the alignment between fertility support and employment policy in China. Additionally, this perspective may inform policy in other developing economies experiencing labor migration or rural-urban transition.</p>

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Subjective Job Quality and Fertility Intentions Among China’s New-Generation Migrant Workers

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月12日

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  • Huihui Liu,
  • Gang Yang,
  • Augustine Adira

摘要

Despite its demographic significance, the fertility intentions of China’s new-generation migrant workers remain underexplored in both academic and policy discourses. Drawing on Quality of Life Theory and informed by Social Identity Theory, this study investigates the association between Subjective Job Quality (SJQ) and short-term intentions to have another child. Using data from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS; N = 1,660), a composite index of SJQ is constructed and analyzed using a two-level mixed-effects logistic regression model. The results revealed a significant negative association between SJQ and short-term intentions to have another child, particularly among male respondents, those with only one child, and those in middle-income households. Subdimension analysis further showed that job safety satisfaction and job environment satisfaction were significantly negatively associated with short-term fertility intentions, while job promotion satisfaction was negatively associated only among migrant workers aged 30 or younger. These findings suggest that higher levels of SJQ may reflect a stronger preference for maintaining current work-life conditions, thereby reducing the likelihood of family expansion among this group. By introducing SJQ as an independent analytical dimension, this study also advances our understanding of how subjective job-related well-being is associated with fertility decisions. The findings provide empirical insights for enhancing the alignment between fertility support and employment policy in China. Additionally, this perspective may inform policy in other developing economies experiencing labor migration or rural-urban transition.