Table 2 Effect of different work trajectories on status attainment

Work trajectory

(Baseline: Merit-based Trajectory)

Private Blue-Collar Trajectory

− 0.008

− 5.847***

− 1.283**

− 0.202

1.062*

(0.106)

(0.795)

(0.433)

(0.331)

(0.537)

State-Owned Blue-Collar Trajectory

− 0.170†

− 6.947***

− 1.077***

− 0.603*

0.41

(0.102)

(0.770)

(0.260)

(0.255)

(0.613)

Self-Employed Trajectory

0.137

− 0.31

− 1.862***

− 2.415***

3.490***

(0.092)

(0.691)

(0.438)

(0.730)

(0.381)

Sociodemographic characteristics

Gender (Baseline: Female)

0.481***

− 2.091***

0.469**

0.684***

0.848***

(0.066)

(0.492)

(0.161)

(0.189)

(0.227)

Age

0.017**

0.062

− 0.006

− 0.006

0.02

(0.006)

(0.044)

(0.016)

(0.020)

(0.019)

Residency (Baseline: Rural)

0.059

− 0.018

− 0.255

0.449

1.069**

(0.098)

(0.722)

(0.257)

(0.372)

(0.361)

Hukou (Baseline: Nonagricultural)

0.049

− 2.946***

− 0.623†

− 0.666

0.159

(0.097)

(0.720)

(0.320)

(0.417)

(0.281)

Human capital

Years of schooling

0.120***

1.787***

0.113***

0.183***

0.181***

(0.013)

(0.098)

(0.032)

(0.039)

(0.044)

Experience

0.062***

− 0.055

0.032

0.033

0.041

(0.012)

(0.088)

(0.030)

(0.035)

(0.049)

Squared experience

− 0.001***

0

− 0.001

0

− 0.002

(0.000)

(0.002)

(0.001)

(0.001)

(0.002)

Political capital

Political identity

0.029

2.736***

1.146***

− 0.125

− 0.466

(Baseline: Nonparty member)

(0.093)

(0.698)

(0.168)

(0.216)

(0.467)

Family background

Parents’ years of schooling

0.018*

0.092

0.029

0

− 0.027

(0.009)

(0.066)

(0.019)

(0.022)

(0.031)

Hukou at birth

0.132

2.603***

0.429*

0.04

− 0.163

(Baseline: Nonagricultural)

(0.082)

(0.613)

(0.176)

(0.207)

(0.286)

Work cohort (Baseline: Pre-1978)

1978–1991

0.033

− 3.523**

0.945**

1.068**

1.660*

(0.167)

(1.278)

(0.350)

(0.415)

(0.790)

1992–2000

0.188

− 3.729*

0.372

1.067†

1.983*

(0.203)

(1.546)

(0.471)

(0.571)

(0.856)

Post-2000

0.221

− 5.545**

0.178

0.306

1.877*

(0.227)

(1.712)

(0.561)

(0.707)

(0.923)

Regional Fixed Effects

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Intercept

6.802***

29.052***

− 4.943***

− 7.265***

− 13.305***

(0.436)

(3.279)

(1.099)

(1.374)

(1.840)

N

3091

2918

4149

4149

4149