How do career expectations and job preparation affect youth job satisfaction? An empirical analysis based on...

Against the backdrop of intensified labor market competition, youth in underdeveloped regions face heightened structural constraints. It is crucial to understand the specific characteristics of their career expectations and job preparation, as well as the underlying mechanisms influencing their job satisfaction, to support higher-quality employment among this group. This study employs a moderated mediation model, drawing on questionnaire data from 9,627 employed youth aged 18-35 across all prefecture-level cities (prefectures) in G Province, China. Objective salary level (measured by actual monetary income brackets) is incorporated as a mediating variable to explore the pathways linking career expectations and job preparation with overall job satisfaction (defined as the overall subjective evaluation of current employment). The findings indicate that career expectations significantly and positively correlate with job satisfaction, and salary level partially mediates this relationship. Furthermore, job preparation positively moderates the effect of career expectations on salary but negatively moderates their impact on satisfaction. Specifically, better preparation strengthens the translation of career expectations into higher salaries but diminishes the satisfaction gained from career expectations. This phenomenon may stem from the fact that comprehensive job preparation not only elevates actual salary levels but also raises youths' reference standards regarding career development, social recognition, and related factors, resulting in a comparative gap. Heterogeneity analysis reveals a slightly stronger positive correlation between career expectations and job satisfaction among rural youth compared to urban youth. Moreover, career expectations significantly and positively correlate with salary levels among males, whereas this correlation is not significant among females.