TITLE:How does age discrimination in employment impact children migrating with parent? Evidence from China's migrants

ABSTRACT: The employment discrimination encountered by migrants, especially rural-to-urban migrants, has attracted extensive attention owing to its severe and far-reaching consequences for their families. However, existing research has largely overlooked the role of age discrimination in employment. This study explores the impact of age discrimination in employment faced by migrants on the likelihood of children migrating with parents. Drawing on data from the 2011–2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) and employing a regression discontinuity design, we fnd that age discrimination in employment faced by migrants signifcantly decreases the likelihood of children migrating with parents. This efect is more pronounced among migrants with the relatively vulnerable groups: female migrants, low education group, and migrants without medical insur-ance. This efect is driven by three key mechanisms: reducing monthly income, increasing working hours, weakening long-term settlement intentions. These fndings highlight the critical need for paying more attention to age discrimination in the labour market.

KEYWORDS:Age discrimination; children migrating with parents; unemployment risk; settlement intention; regression discontinuity design;

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2025.2573240