LITERACY AND EMPLOYMENT INTENTION IN RURAL CHINA: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF JOB ANXIETY AND THE BUFFERING EFFECT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL

Although digital technologies have expanded access to employment, many rural job seekers lack the digital competence and psychological resources needed to fully benefit from the digital economy. This study proposes an integrative model that links digital literacy, job anxiety, psychological capital, and employment intention. Using survey data from 403 rural unemployed youth, a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was applied to examine both the mediating and the moderating mechanisms. The results revealed that digital literacy positively predicted employment intention both directly and indirectly through a reduction in job anxiety. Psychological capital not only enhanced employment intention directly but also moderated the negative relationship between digital literacy and job anxiety such that individuals with greater psychological capital were less susceptible to anxiety when digital literacy was low. The model explained 49% of the variance in employment intention and 37% of the variance in job anxiety. This study contributes to the literature on digital inclusion and youth employability and has practical implications for the design of integrated interventions that combine digital skills development with psychological empowerment.