Research on the Spatial Effects of the Digital Economy on Labor Income Inequality

This research examines the impact of the digital economy on labor income inequality across Chinese provinces and its spatial spillover effects. By constructing a Spatial Durbin Model and employing theoretical simulation analysis, the study empirically tests its hypotheses using provincial panel data from 2013 to 2022. The findings reveal that:the digital economy significantly exacerbates labor income inequality both within a province and in its neighboring regions, with direct and spatial spillover effects of 0.106 and 0.113, respectively; labor income disparity demonstrates negative spatial spillovers, meaning an increase in inequality in neighboring provinces can mitigate local inequality;By incorporating spatial dimensions into the analytical framework and establishing a “theoretical-simulation-empirical” verification system, this research contributes to the international literature and provides new evidence for addressing distributional imbalances in the digital economy.