Higher Education and Female Labor Market Outcomes in Six Muslim Countries

Abstract

The recent expansion in tertiary education has not been even across countries and gender, nor has its impact on the composition of the labor force and on labor force participation rates been uniform. In this chapter we compare six predominantly Muslim-populated economies from different regions and historical backgrounds (Egypt, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tunisia, and Turkey) with other non-Muslim countries (Poland, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). With similar levels of development and public expenditure in tertiary education, an increased population with higher education does not seem to have a substantially different impact on the distribution of the female labor force or unemployment and employment, except in Pakistan. However, concerning the highly educated female population, in terms of labor force participation and unemployment and employment rates, comparisons suggest significant discrepancies across countries.