Abstract The existing literatures have not systematically studied and reached a consensus on the relationship between labor costs and energy intensity. This study introduces the mediation model to solve the theoretical disputes, and proposes three mediating effects of labor costs on energy intensity, i.e., substitution effect, industrial structure effect, and total factor productivity effect. The bootstrap confidence interval method and causal steps approach are used to test the mediating effects and decompose total effect. As indicated by the empirical study using panel data of 22 emerging economies, the total effect of rising labor costs on energy intensity is negative. The contributions of substitution effect, industrial structure effect and total factor productivity effect to the total effect are −21.8%, 8.9% and 76.4% respectively. Therefore, the total factor productivity growth turns out to be the main way in which labor costs affect energy intensity in emerging economies. These findings provide new empirical support for the Neo-classical growth theory and Environment Kuznets Curve hypothesis from the perspective of labor costs.

中文翻译：

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增强或抑制：劳动力成本对新兴经济体能源强度的影响

摘要 现有文献对劳动力成本与能源强度的关系尚未进行系统研究并达成共识。本研究引入中介模型解决理论争议，提出劳动力成本对能源强度的三种中介效应，即替代效应、产业结构效应和全要素生产率效应。使用自举置信区间法和因果步骤法来检验中介效应和分解总效应。使用22个新兴经济体面板数据的实证研究表明，劳动力成本上升对能源强度的总体影响为负。替代效应、产业结构效应和全要素生产率效应对总效应的贡献分别为-21.8%、8.9%和76.4%。所以，事实证明，全要素生产率增长是新兴经济体劳动力成本影响能源强度的主要方式。这些发现从劳动力成本的角度为新古典增长理论和环境库兹涅茨曲线假说提供了新的实证支持。