Male Labor Market Research Articles

Economic Growth and Female Participation in the Labour Market: Gender Disaggregated Data

The study aims to examine the impact of economic growth on female labour market participation in Kenya with data spanning between 1991 and 2022. Labour-force data disaggregated by gender are important to monitor the dynamic of gender inequalities in the labour market. The secondary data used to construct the time series was obtained from the World Bank and the International Labour Organization sources. The research was informed by the Feminisation U hypothesis, which describes the tendency of female labour force participation to first decline and then rise in the process of economic growth. The study used a fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) and Granger causality test to analyse the long-run effect of economic growth on women's participation in the labour market. The study results indicate that economic growth positively and significantly contributes to women’s participation in the labour market in the long run. Furthermore, the results of the control variables suggest that education has a beneficial effect on women's workforce, while women’s access to the workforce is hampered by male labour market participation, fertility rate, female self-employment and rate of urbanization. The study suggests to policymakers that the strategy to success is to facilitate education, vocational training, and social change that enable women to play the same role as men in the labour market. Finally, women must be in productive sectors and government should remove barriers to ownership of factors of production to encourage them to participate in economic activities and the labour market.

Chinese Import Competition and Gendered Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Ethiopian Firm-Level Data

Abstract In this paper, we analyse the relationship between Chinese import competition and gendered labor market outcomes within the context of a developing country. To do this, we merge a rich manufacturing firm-level panel data set from Ethiopia with trade data covering the years 1997–2010. Thus, we map out the effect of trade shocks from import surges on labor force participation and compensation, decomposed by gender. Results from the study show that rising import competition from China had a heterogeneous effect on female and male labor market outcomes. Import competition from China is associated with a negative and statistically significant effect on female employment, but not male employment. Looking at workers’ occupation, we find that for production workers import competition is adversely related with female employment outcomes while there is no statistically significant association with employment of administrative workers. For wage inequality, male wages in general are negatively associated with import competition, while we found no effect on female wages.

Has Canada's 21st‐Century Grand Gender Convergence Stalled? Male and Female Income and Human Resource Stock Distributions Viewed Through an Equal Opportunity Lens

AbstractThe increasing similarity of male and female labor market roles in advanced economies over the past 50 years, dubbed the “Grand Gender Convergence” by Goldin (2014), appears to have stalled. Given commonality of preferences for work and human resource acquisition across the gender divide, women and men with similar human resources and efforts should have similar income distributions in a non‐discriminatory equal opportunity equilibrium. However, income convergence is a necessary but not sufficient condition for a “Grand Gender Convergence” as similarities in incomes could be achieved with differences in human resources and efforts given discriminatory rewards. In this study, using new tools for examining distributional convergence processes, the progress of Canada's 21‐st Century “Grand Gender Convergence” is examined in the context of an equal opportunity paradigm. While income convergence is almost universally apparent, human resource stock distributions appear to be diverging, with women having increasingly superior resources to men, evidence that the grand convergence is not progressing.

The role of religion in female labor supply: evidence from two Muslim denominations

AbstractThis paper investigates the association between religion and female labor market outcomes using new micro-level data on two distinct Muslim denominations in Turkey: Sunni and Alevi Muslims. We find a positive and significant association between being an Alevi Muslim and female labor force participation and employment, whereas there are no significant differences in male labor market outcomes between the two denominations. We provide evidence that Alevi Muslims have more gender-equal views regarding the role of women in the labor market and consider themselves as more modern. Both Sunnis and Alevis consider themselves as believers in religion (Islam). However, Sunnis are more likely to abide by the rules of religion. We argue that differences in views on gender roles and self-identity regarding modernity between the two denominations drive the results on female labor market outcomes.

The effect of gender-specific labor market conditions on children\u2019s weight

BackgroundMacroeconomic conditions are widely known to influence health outcomes through direct behavioral change or indirect mental effects of individuals. However, they have not received much attention in relation to childhood obesity.MethodsUsing gender-specific predicted employment growth rates as an index for labor market conditions, we analyze how economic shocks affect children’s weight status in Arkansas. To understand the underlying mechanisms behind these results, we use data on individual time use to examine how economic shocks are related to activities related to children’s weight.ResultsImprovement in the female labor market is associated with an increase in body mass index (BMI) and the probability that a child is overweight or obese, while an improvement in the male labor market has no significant effects on children’s weight. This impact is particularly evident among female children, older children, and African-American children. We also find a negative effect of improvements in the female labor market on time spent on preparation for foods at home.ConclusionsThese results suggest that a decrease in time spent preparing home-cooked foods might be a plausible explanation for the pro-cyclical relationship between children’s weight and improvement in the labor market conditions. Thus, the policy implications of our paper should be aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of women’s labor participation.

The effects of a trade shock on gender-specific labor market outcomes in Brazil

As countries around the world increasingly engage in international trade, labor markets respond, creating both winners and losers. In this paper, I analyze the impact of a trade shock on gender-specific local labor market outcomes in Brazil. I use an instrumental variable approach and population census data for Brazil to estimate the effect of both increased imports from China and increased exports to China on male and female local labor market outcomes from 2000 to 2010. Regions more exposed to imports from China experience slower wage growth in the traded and formal sectors, but the declines are significantly larger for men, particularly in sectors with low shares of female employment. Exports have a positive association with wage growth, but no relationship with employment growth. Import-induced wage declines are coupled with significant employment growth in the formal sector. The gains for women are nearly double those for men, increasing the share of female employment in the formal sector. Regions more exposed to Chinese imports also experience an increase in the female employment to population ratio and a decrease in male and female unemployment rates. Thus, trade with China induces new workers into the labor market, reduces unemployment, and reallocates labor to the formal sector. These employment gains are strongest for women, signaling reduced employment barriers for females. Further, as employment reallocates to the formal sector, occupation segregation declines, highlighting an additional avenue through which trade can have gendered labor market effects.

200 Years of Feminisation of Professions in Poland—Mechanism of False Windows of Opportunity

This paper presents the problem of the female labour market in Poland and the phenomenon of the feminisation of selected occupations. The main aim was to identify the mechanisms behind the feminisation of occupations in Poland and its consequences by combining considerations of labour market theory with development path theories. This research employed various methods such as the method of analysis of secular trends, as well as a critical reinterpretation of the literature review. Data from the 19th century to 2019 were analysed. The textile industry, education, local public administration, and social care are included in the analysis. The research motivation was to answer the question as to when and under what conditions the selected occupations were feminised. The mechanism of false windows of opportunity was identified, as well as times when the windows of opportunity to enter a given occupation opened and closed for women. Specifically, the research findings described that the female labour market is dependent on the male labour market and thus windows of opportunity offer new employment opportunities but with limited possibilities and under poorer conditions.

Living and working on the edge: ‘Place precarity’ and the experiences of male manual workers in a U.K. seaside town

AbstractBased on an ethnographic study of male manual workers in Blackpool, a large seaside town in the United Kingdom, and drawing on Bourdieu as a theoretical frame, this article explores the role of place in understanding conditions and experiences of precarity. With higher than average levels of deprivation, seaside towns have experienced particular employment challenges where precariousness is likely to be at the forefront of male manual workers' labour market condition. Results highlight the significance of the interplay between place, employment prospects, geographical ‘constriction’ and dispositions of ‘provisionality,’ which, together, produce ‘uneven geographies’ of labour. We develop the concept of ‘place precarity’ to show how precarity is fundamentally rooted in the spatial context and to capture how conditions and experiences of precarity interact with localised employment conditions.

Gender and mobility: Qatar’s highly skilled female migrants in context

ABSTRACT Very little is known about the life experiences of highly skilled female migrants and almost nothing about them outside of Western contexts. This paper attempts to address this knowledge gap by examining the experiences of highly skilled migrant women working in the Persian Gulf monarchy of Qatar. Drawing on in-depth interviews with a sample of highly skilled migrants in Qatar, the paper examines the experiences of highly skilled migrant women in the Gulf in order to understand how their experiences compare with male counterparts, and the ways in which these experiences are gendered as a result of marital and family status. It also examines how the kafala labor sponsorship system differentially conditions highly skilled female versus male labor market participation, thereby producing very different professional and personal migration experiences. Finally, the paper highlights the importance of intersectionality on migrants’ lived experiences, as it finds that social, cultural, national, and geographical categories are important when thinking about the mobility of highly skilled women.

Male Incarceration and Female Labor Market Outcomes

The prevalence of male incarceration in the United States has important unintended consequences for women. Two early studies find positive external effects of male incarceration on female labor market outcomes in general. However, we know very little about the labor market outcomes of women directly affected by male incarceration. This study evaluates how female labor market outcomes change when a male partner is currently incarcerated. It finds substantial and robust evidence that a male partner’s current incarceration lowers female weekly earnings at extensive and intensive margins, while raising female unemployment odds at the extensive margin. These negative consequences on female labor market outcomes warrant further policy attention.

Nutrition, Adult Cognitive Skills, and Productivity: Results and Influence of the INCAP Longitudinal Study.

This article summarizes research based on the INCAP Longitudinal Study that demonstrates the positive effects of the atole intervention on prime-age adult cognitive skills and productivities. The findings are interpreted in the context of a life-cycle stages model in which various factors and investments at each stage of life influence outcomes not only in that stage but in subsequent ones. The results point to the likely importance of improvements in adult cognitive skills due to better early-life nutrition on adult male labor market outcomes as well as on women's "home productivity" in terms of anthropometrics for the next generation. Possible mechanisms are also explored, including the impacts of early-life exposure to atole on children's height when starting school, on grades of schooling attainment, and on the extent of experience with higher-skilled jobs, as well as the impacts of improved cognitive skills on wages. Not only are investments in early-life nutrition important for immediate welfare but also they have significant productivity payoffs in adulthood.

An empirical analysis of trends in female labour force participation and the gender wage gap in South Africa

abstractIn this analysis, we constructed cohort data from repeated cross-sections using the Post-Apartheid Labour Market Series (PALMS) and examined trends in labour market outcomes in the South African labour market. Labour force participation trends show a substantial and persistent gender gap over the life cycle. The gender gap in employment is wide at young ages but seems to decline over the life cycle confirming that younger women are more vulnerable to high unemployment. Earnings trajectories of more recent cohorts of men and women are above those of older cohorts showing that younger cohorts have experienced gains in earnings over time. The gender wage gap is smaller for the youngest cohorts an indication of generational effects. This result suggests a long-term narrowing of the gender wage gap as male and female labour market characteristics become similar. The significance of age is evident as the gender wage gap increases over the life cycle indicating a discontinuous labour force participation for women. Interventions to reduce this discontinuity require among other things alleviating the disproportionate burden of care work shouldered by women to enable them to commit more time to the labour market. A cohort analysis of the occupational distribution by gender shows that more recent cohorts of women are in better occupations than the generations of women before them. This is attributable to improved human capital and better labour market opportunities for younger cohorts. A further narrowing of the gender wage gap requires interventions that will ensure a better distribution of women in male dominated occupations. We note however, that African men and women seem to be dropping out of the labour market at an early age which implies that other factors aside from motherhood or family responsibilities (possibly health issues) are causing this decline in participation.

The Role of Culture on Female Labor Supply: Evidence from Turkey

This paper investigates the effect of culture on female labor market outcomes using new micro-level data on two distinct Muslim denominations in Turkey: Sunni and Alevi Muslims. We find a positive and significant effect of being an Alevi Muslim on female labor force participation and employment probability compared to a Sunni Muslim whereas there are no significant differences in male labor market outcomes between the two denominations. We provide evidence that Alevi Muslims have more gender equal views regarding the role of women in the labor market and argue that differences in gender views drive the results.

Gender disparities in European labour markets: A comparison of conditions for men and women in paid employment

AbstractAlthough the dramatic increase in female labour force participation in recent decades has been connected to significant changes in economic opportunities for women, gender disparities in the labour market persist in many forms. This article seeks to assess whether higher gender differentials in European labour markets are directly related to poor economic conditions. To this end, the results of a composite indicator designed and developed by the authors in a previous study are updated and three new composite indicators are constructed for a separate analysis of female and male labour market conditions and gender gap for paid employment.

Parental duties, labor market behavior, and single fatherhood in America

Longitudinal analysis using samples from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics suggests that men’s income and wages decrease after entering into single fatherhood by marital separation. This loss exceeds what can be explained by marital separation alone. Using a difference in difference approach, I estimate that single fatherhood suppresses men’s annual income by more than $8,000 per year, putting these men and their children at increased economic risk. Similar labor market changes are experienced by widower fathers, a subset of exogenous single fathers. The apparent effects show persistence after single fathers remarry, but mostly diminish after children mature and leave the household. These results stand at odds with previous research suggesting that fatherhood increases men’s wages and hours, and that male labor market outcomes are not significantly influenced by housework.

Male Migration and Female Labor Market Attachment

Male Migration and Female Labor Market Attachment

Male Migration and Female Labor Market Attachment

This study examines the impact of male migration to the United States on female labor market outcomes in Mexico, using the longitudinal data set from the Mexican Family Life Survey. I differentiate between domestic and cross-border migration, as well as other types of absence, and account for their differential effects. The first-difference approach is employed to address the econometric issues of endogeneity and self-selection. Findings show that the effects of cross-border migration on the labor market outcomes of left-behind women appear to be limited in the short term. Domestic migration is not a major factor that influences the labor market outcomes of women.

Naturalization and Labor Market Performance of Immigrants in Germany

Naturalization may be a relevant policy instrument affecting immigrant integration in host-country labor markets. We study the effect of naturalization on labor market outcomes of immigrants in Germany. We apply recent survey data and exploit a reform of naturalization rules in an instrumental variable estimation. In our sample of recent immigrants, linear regression yields positive correlations between naturalization and beneficial labor market outcomes. Once we account for the endogeneity of naturalization most coefficients decline in magnitude and lose statistical significance: male immigrants' labor market outcomes do not benefit significantly from naturalization. Naturalization reduces the risks of unemployment and welfare dependence for female immigrants. For males and females, the propensity to hold a permanent contract increase as a consequence of naturalization. The results are robust to modifications of samples and the instrument.

Vocational Training for Disadvantaged Youth in Colombia: A Long-Term Follow-Up

We evaluate the long-term impacts of a randomized Colombian training and job placement program. Following the large short-term effects, we now find that the program effects persist, increasing formal participation and earnings contributions to social security and working in larger firms. By using a large administrative source we are also able to establish that the program improved both male and female labor market outcomes by a similar amount—a result that was not apparent with the smaller evaluation sample. The results point to a cost-effective approach to reducing informality and improving labor market outcomes in the long run. (JEL I28, J13, J24, J31, O15)

Wage Risk, Employment Risk and the Rise in Wage Inequality

We estimate the changes in US male labor market risk over the last three decades in a model of endogenous labor supply and job mobility. Across education groups permanent shocks to productivity have become more dispersed. Moreover, heterogeneity in pay across offered jobs has increased for workers with at least some college education. Simulating these changes in a life-cycle model with search frictions, we show that the estimated changes in risk can account for 85 percent of the increase in within group wage inequality. The welfare costs of rising risk are small.