The Effects of Gender-Specific Local Labor Demand on Birth and Later Outcomes

Mika Akesaka and Nobuyoshi Kikuchi
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Nobuyoshi Kikuchi: Department of Economics, The University of Tokyo, JAPAN

No DP2022-37, Discussion Paper Series from Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University

Abstract: We examine the effects of local labor market conditions during early pregnancy on birth and later outcomes. Using a longitudinal survey of newborns in Japan, we find that improvements in employment opportunities increase the probability of low birth weight, attributable to shortened gestation. This negative effect is driven mainly by the changes in labor demand for women. However, we find little evidence of a lasting effect of changes in labor demand during early pregnancy on severe health conditions or developmental delays in early childhood. Using prefecture-level panel data, we confirm that the negative effect on infant birth weight is not driven by selective fertility and mortality.

Keywords: Labor market conditions; Newborn health; Low birth weight; Recession (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 J13 J16 J23 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 58 pages
Date: 2022-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea, nep-lab and nep-ure
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https://www.rieb.kobe-u.ac.jp/academic/ra/dp/English/DP2022-37.pdf First version, 2022 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: The effects of gender-specific local labor demand on birth and later outcomes (2024)
Working Paper: The Effects of Gender-Specific Local Labor Demand on Birth and Later Outcomes (2024)
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