Education and Economic Isolation: The Gaza Blockade's Role in Shaping Returns to Education in Palestine

Yousuf Daas, Sameh Hallaq, Danilo Leite Dalmon and Jennifer Olmsted

Economics Working Paper Archive from Levy Economics Institute

Abstract: This study examines the impact of the Gaza blockade on private returns to education, with a focus on regional and gender disparities in the Palestinian territories. Using data from the Palestinian Labor Force Survey (2000-2014). Results show that, generally, education yields higher returns in Gaza compared to the West Bank. Gender disparities are pronounced, with women consistently experiencing higher returns to education than men despite systemic barriers to equitable labor market participation. The Gaza blockade itself negatively impacted wages, years of schooling, and returns to education, though women exhibited resilience by increasing their educational investment during this period. These findings show the importance of addressing structural barriers and promoting inclusive policies to mitigate the long-term consequences of conflict on human capital development.

Keywords: labor market; conflict economics; Gaza blockade; Gender equality; Gender wage gap; returns to education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I25 J16 J31 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ara and nep-lma
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