Job-search Networks and Wage Attainment in China: A Comparison of Job Changers and Non-changers

This article examines job-search networks and entry-level wage attainment using data from a large-scale survey conducted in eight cities in China in 2009. Two key issues are addressed: (i) how the use of social networks is associated with entry-level wage attainment in urban China, and (ii) whether the patterns of network effects on entry-level wage differ between job changers and first-job seekers. The results show that both strength of ties and social resources of job-search networks are significantly associated with entry-level wage attainment, and that the network effects on entry-level wage are greater for job changers than for first-job seekers. This study offers a solid empirical verification of the associations of weak ties with information and strong ties with influence in an analysis of entry-level wages for job changers and first-job seekers.