Fostering rural economic development is imperative for ensuring sustainable growth in rural areas. Currently, China is vigorously promoting the implementation of the Rural Revitalization Strategy to foster robust rural economic growth. As a key productive resource, labor will inevitably undergo shifts across various industries under the impetus of the Rural Revitalization Strategy. Although significant progress has been made in China's western regions in recent years, there remains a substantial development gap compared to the central and eastern regions. In the process of advancing the Rural Revitalization Strategy, how to achieve effective labor transfer, promote employment and increase farmers' incomes has become a critical issue for the economic development of rural areas in the western regions. Based on this, this study takes economic data from Guangxi in China's western region from 2012 to 2021 as a sample to conduct an in-depth analysis of the industrial structure, employment structure, and their adaptability in Guangxi. The study finds that there is a surplus of labor in the primary industry in Guangxi that needs to be transferred, while the labor allocation efficiency in the secondary and tertiary industries is relatively high, with a clear demand for labor. Given the economic development status of Guangxi, it is recommended to promote agricultural industrialization, foster urban-rural integration, actively develop the secondary and tertiary industries, and simultaneously strengthen targeted training for agricultural labor and emphasize rural education. These recommendations will help provide effective support for the sustainable economic development of rural areas in the western regions.
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