Development of Takeaway Delivery and Urban–Rural Wage Sorting

Urban–rural wage disparities are a pervasive phenomenon observed across various countries and regions. This paper examines the impact of takeaway delivery on wage levels, with a particular focus on laborers from distinct urban and rural backgrounds. By integrating data from the Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP) and takeaway delivery agencies, this study conducts sub‐sample regression analyses to explore wage differences attributable to residential location and household registration status. The findings reveal that among the four groups categorized by urban–rural status, only individuals with rural household registration but residing in urban areas experience a statistically significant and positive wage impact. This result remains robust across multiple robustness checks. The urban–rural wage sorting effects are analyzed from two perspectives: First, as a physically demanding form of employment, the development of takeaway delivery contributes to wage increments for rural‐registered laborers. Second, the disparity in access to takeaway delivery related resource between urban and rural areas allows urban residents to benefit more significantly from wage increases. This paper underscores the critical role of government policies in leveraging the development of takeaway delivery to explore rural advantages and address the persistent issue of unbalanced urban–rural development.