Will the implementation of the Anti-Monopoly Law improve enterprise employment? Based on the perspective of domestic market integration.

AbstractAs a necessary institutional arrangement to maintain a fair, competitive order, implementing the Anti-Monopoly Law will significantly impact many aspects of the market economy system. The study examines the impact of China’s Anti-Monopoly Law on employment from 2005 to 2019, using A-share listed companies as a sample. It treats the law’s 2008 implementation as a quasi-experiment and applies the difference-in-differences method. Findings suggest the law significantly expanded employment, especially in non-high-tech and labor-intensive sectors. It improved enterprises’ employment absorption by enhancing factor mobility, market size, and business performance. The conclusions of this study not only provide a theoretical foundation for government departments to objectively assess the micro-performance of the Anti-Monopoly Law’s implementation but also contribute to advancing the development of a unified national market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]