How Does Military Experience Affect Employment: Evidence From China

Abstract

The impact of military experience on employment has long been a hot topic of academic discussion, and understanding how military experience affects employment is crucial to promoting the employment of veterans. Based on the 2010 to 2020 China Family Panel Studies data, the article investigates the effect of military experience on individual employment and its underlying mechanism, and overcomes the endogeneity via IV-Probit model. It is found that military experience significantly contributes to employment, specifically through improving the job opportunities in the public sector, increasing the likelihood of holding an administrative position, and enhancing one’s political capital, social capital, and human capital. The findings of this article provide insights into how to deal with the unemployment problem of ex-servicemen and help the relevant authorities to formulate targeted measures to safeguard the employment of veterans.