How to promote high-quality full employment through digital trade in the new development stage has attracted much attention. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) (Due to the lack of data, the statistical data mentioned here do not include the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Province.) in China from 2013 to 2020, the development level of digital trade and high-quality full employment was measured by using the entropy method. It theoretically explains and empirically tests the impact of digital trade on high-quality full employment and its mechanism. The research shows that digital trade has a significant role in promoting high-quality full employment during the investigation period, and the conclusion remains robust after considering endogeneity. The results of mechanism test reveal that the upgrading of industrial structure and the accumulation of human capital play an important role as intermediary channels from the demand and supply side of labor force respectively. Threshold analysis shows that the higher the level of digital trade, the stronger the promotion of high-quality full employment. The spatial spillover test found that the development of local digital trade has a positive spillover effect on neighboring employment. In the heterogeneity test, digital trade plays a greater role in promoting high-quality employment than full employment, and its role in the eastern region is stronger than that in the central and western regions. The research conclusions provide theoretical basis, empirical support and policy reference for a more comprehensive study of the impact of digital trade on high-quality full employment.