There is a significant spatial correlation between labor force employment and environmental regulations in China. Using spatial Durbin model，this paper empirically tests the spatial spillover effect of environmental regulation on labor employment．The research results show that environmental regulation has a significant negative spillover effect on employment, but the negative spatial spillover effect of environmental regulation on employment under the economic distance spatial weight matrix is smaller than that under the geographic distance spatial weight matrix．Local governments have a tendency to compete for the bottom in environmental regulations, and the employment creation effect of environmental regulations is still insufficient. It is necessary to strengthen the environmental performance assessment of local governments，build a coordination mechanism for environmental regulation among neighboring local governments，explore innovation trigger mechanisms of environmental regulation in different regions，encourage companies to carry out green innovation，and make the employment creation from innovation driven by environmental regulation compensate for the loss of employment caused by the reduction of polluting industries．
