Air pollution and gender imbalance in labor supply responses: Evidence from South Korea

Ahram Han, Taejong Kim, Gi Khan Ten and Shun Wang ()

Economic Modelling, 2023, vol. 124, issue C

Abstract: This study investigates whether and how air pollution affects the labor supply in South Korea. In order to plausibly estimate the causal impact, we utilize the fact that air pollution in South Korea is affected by spillovers from China, mediated by wind direction. The results show that mothers tend to reduce working hours in response to the worsening air quality, although the negative impact attenuates as their children age. Surprisingly, we found no labor supply reduction for fathers. The children's vulnerability to the air pollutants and the mothers' roles as principal caregivers were the probable drivers of the results. The implication of the findings is that abatement of air pollution can help address the gender imbalance in South Korea's labor market.

Keywords: Air pollution; Transboundary spillovers; Labor supply; Caregiving; Gender imbalance; South Korea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 J22 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:124:y:2023:i:c:s0264999323001025

DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2023.106290

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