Family Background and Occupational Status: An Empirical Study Based on the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS)

This study examines how family background shapes individual occupational status within a behavioral science framework, using pooled data from the 2018 and 2020 waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Grounded in New Human Capital Theory, it further investigates the moderating roles of cognitive and non-cognitive abilities in this relationship. The results indicate that family background exerts a significant and persistent positive effect on both initial and current occupational status, suggesting the enduring influence of intergenerational advantage. Robustness checks using alternative indicators, including father’s occupational status and mother’s education, confirm the stability of the findings. In addition, digital skills, appearance investment, and selected Big Five personality traits—agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness—significantly strengthen the positive association between family background and occupational outcomes. These findings suggest that, beyond structural advantages, individual behavioral and psychological characteristics play a critical role in enabling individuals to effectively transform family resources into labor market success. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence on how behavioral factors interact with family background to shape occupational inequality in contemporary China.