Abstract：It is generally believed that social capital is beneficial in increasing job seekers’ income levels during the job search process. However， this paper based on data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS) reveals a contrary conclusion： on average， those who rely on connections to find jobs earn nearly 10% less than those who find jobs on their own. Further mechanism analysis suggests that social capital can weaken people’s job search efforts， thereby limiting the potential matching opportunities between human capital and job vacancies， and reducing the level of return on human capital. While traditional studies often argue that the social capital network effect benefits oneself at the expense of others， this paper cautions that over-reliance on social capital may harm others and oneself as well. This has important implications for fostering the job-seeking mindset of “relying on oneself rather than others” and for maximizing talent and ensuring that everyone’s abilities are fully utilized.
刘元春 丁 洋. 社会资本对工资的影响分析——基于搜寻动力减弱的视角[J]. 华中师范大学学报（人文社会科学版）, 2024, 63(6): 51-61.
,Liu Yuanchun Ding Yang. ,An Analysis of the Impact of Social Capital on Wages——From the Perspective of Diminished Job Search Motivation. journal1, 2024, 63(6): 51-61.
2024, Vol. 63 
