The Impact of Rural Public Health Services on Nonfarm Employment

Based on data from the 2022 China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS), this study examined the impact of rural public health services on farm households’ non-agricultural employment from the perspectives of health human capital improvement and family caregiving burden reduction. The results showed that rural public health services significantly increased the probability of participation in non-agricultural employment. Mechanism analysis indicated that improving health human capital and reducing family caregiving burden were important channels through which rural public health services promoted non-agricultural employment. The promoting effect of rural public services on farmers’ non-agricultural employment was more pronounced in villages with relatively weaker primary healthcare resources, those closer to county towns, and poverty-alleviated households. Therefore, improving the rural public health service system and strengthening primary-level health service supply are important for promoting rural labor transfer and increasing farmers’ income.