The Inverted U-Shaped Relationship Between AI and Job Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from China’s CLDS Microdata

AI has a complex impact on job satisfaction. While AI can enhance satisfaction by reducing workload and improving efficiency, it can also decrease it by causing fears of job loss and skill obsolescence. Understanding this balance is key to maximizing AI’s societal benefits. Based on the China Labor-force Dynamic Survey (CLDS), this study empirically tested the nonlinear effects and heterogeneity of AI on job satisfaction. The results indicate that, (1) The net effect of AI on job satisfaction is the inverted U-shaped trend of rising first and then decreasing. (2) The inflection point of this inverted U-shape shifts rightward as worker skill levels increase. (3) AI applications influence job satisfaction by affecting skill matching. (4) Perceived fairness positively moderates the relationship between AI and job satisfaction, thus mitigating the negative effects of AI.