Changing pathways in young people’s school-to-work transition: evidence from the 2003–2021 Chinese General Social Surveys

China has undergone significant socioeconomic changes over the past half century, including the Cultural Revolution, economic reform, and educational expansion. These changes have altered opportunity structures for young people across cohorts. However, little is known about how these changes affect their school-to-work transition (SWT) over time. This study examines the changing pathways of SWT among young Chinese people in the past few decades and analyzes how educational attainment and family socioeconomic status (SES) shape the SWT. Using a pooled sample from Chinese General Social Surveys from 2003 to 2021, the results reveal that younger cohorts who have experienced higher education expansion tend to follow a delayed SWT. Moreover, educational attainment and family SES consistently play a significant role in preventing young people from experiencing an unsmooth SWT across birth cohorts by facilitating early SWT for older cohorts and delayed SWT for younger cohorts.