Jinghao Wu, Ye Liu, Honglin Tang
As China enters a critical transition period towards a knowledge-based economy, the optimization of the educational attainment structure and spatial distribution of the civil service, a crucial component of modernizing the national governance system and capacity, exerts a profound influence on enhancing government efficiency and fostering social progress. Based on recruitment data from the 2023 Guangdong Provincial Civil Service Examination, this study employs spatial statistical methods and Multivariate Logistic Regression analysis to examine the urban hierarchy migration model of newly graduated students admitted to civil service positions and its influencing factors. The research findings indicate: (1)The migration model of admitted newly graduated students are predominantly migrate down the urban hierarchy. For non-equivalent-level migrations, destinations are mainly fourth-, third-, and first-tier cities, whereas for equivalent-level migrations, destinations are primarily fourth-, third-, and second-tier cities. (2)Among personal attributes (including gender, university ranking, and the tier of the city where the graduation school is located), except for graduates from universities in the fourth- and fifth-tier cities, all other groups predominantly migrated down the urban hierarchy. (3)In terms of work-unit level and job requirements (including educational qualifications and work experience), the admitted candidates across all groups predominantly migrated down the urban hierarchy. (4) The results of the multiple logistic regression showed that personal attributes, work-unit level, and job requirements jointly affected the choice of migration mode for admitted candidates. Personal attributes and job requirements have a relatively significant impact; the better the personal attributes and the higher the job requirements, the more likely they are to migrate up the urban hierarchy. The effect of job conditions was not significant. (5)The results of the mechanism analysis revealed that the choice of migration model among newly graduated students is a complex and dynamic decision-making process underpinned by the interplay of multiple factors, such as government policy guidance, job characteristics, personal factors, and urban conditions. The decision-making and selection process in the selection mechanism for the migration mode of newly recruited graduates in the civil service examination is complex and dynamic, involving the interaction of multiple factors, such as government policy guidance, job characteristics, personal factors, and urban conditions, with objective limitations, personal abilities and resources, and subjective willingness. Compared to other non-establishment employment models, this employment model has a stronger possibility of migrating down the urban hierarchy, which may be caused by significant differences in the sources of job settings, competition intensity, and subjective willingness. To achieve the strategic goal of building a high-quality young civil service, the government should consider the multifaceted and complex interactions within the recruitment process, leverage its administrative functions, flexibly adjust job settings, and attract and retain outstanding newly graduated students through measures such as optimizing the urban environment and enhancing public service levels. This study has significant implications for local governments in formulating scientific and reasonable civil service recruitment policies tailored to local conditions, and guiding newly graduated university students to make informed and rational decisions when applying for civil service positions.