Employment　creation　and　climate　change　mitigation　are　core　tasks　for　achieving　sustainable　development　goals.　Whether　or　not　carbon　mitigation　policy　facilitate　employment　deserves　deep　exploration.　Through　the　construction　of　multi-regional　dynamic　computable　general　equilibrium　model　(CGE)　with　more　scientific　energy　&　environment　block,　this　paper　first　evaluates　regional　employment　effects　of　the　national　emission　trading　scheme　(ETS)　in　China.　Furthermore,　we　explore　the　Okun＇s　law　of　the　national　ETS　based　on　the　mediating　effect　model.　The　results　show　that　whether　in　carbon-intensive　industries　(CIIs)　or　non-carbon-intensive　industries　(NCIIs),　employment　effects　of　the　national　ETS　are　differentiated　across　regions.　Specifically,　the　national　ETS　generally　promotes　CIIs＇　employment　in　Southern,　Eastern,　Middle　Yangtze　River　and　Southwest　regions,　and　has　negative　effects　on　CIIs＇　employment　in　other　regions.　Meanwhile,　the　national　ETS　brings　employment　creation　to　NCIIs　of　Southern　region,　while　there　are　opposite　results　in　NCIIs　of　Northeast　region　and　mixed　results　in　NCIIs　of　other　regions.　Moreover,　the　Okun＇s　law　of　the　national　ETS　holds　in　CIIs　of　each　region,　but　it　not　fits　the　data　for　NCIIs.　Therefore,　it　is　important　for　the　Chinese　government　to　consider　the　differentiated　employment　effects　in　different　regions　carefully　rather　than　adopt　one-size-fit-all　solution　when　constructing　the　national　carbon　market.　©　2024　Elsevier　Ltd