Abstract: Based on 5609 rural labor sample data from the 2018 China Labor Force Dynamic Survey, this study investigates the impact of public employment services, represented by vocational skills training, on the income of rural labor force and its mechanism. Research has found that at the individual level, participating in vocational skills training can significantly increase the income of farmers, and that at the national level, the vocational skills training subsidies can ensure the supply of public employment services, which has significantly increased the income of farmers. This conclusion is still valid after a series of robustness tests, indicating that public employment services has not only achieved“success through learning”at the individual level, but also achieved“effective subsidies”at the national level. The mechanism analysis shows that the income growth of rural labor force can be promoted by public employment services through enhancing their human capital, digital capital, and social capital. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the income increasing effect of rural young labor force receiving vocational skills training is the most significant. Compared to the self-employed rural labor, the farming and employee groups need to receive public employment services more. Due to the disadvantaged terrain and relatively weak industrial foundation, mountainous areas require preferential policies for public employment services at the national level. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen the effective connection between industrial integration and employment services and expand local employment channels, enhance the level of digital infrastructure and information technology construction and narrow the employment information gap, and establish and improve the quality system of rural vocational skills training and enhance the efficiency of training output.

Key words: public employment services, labor force income, vocational skill training, labor force dynamic survey