Do High-Premium Fields Buffer Labor Market Shocks? Evidence from India

Jheelum Sarkar

Papers from arXiv.org

Abstract: Do high-return fields of study provide greater protection in labor market during crises? Using India's Periodic Labor Force Survey (2017-2022), I construct pre-pandemic premia for major technical fields and estimate their differential effects on labor market outcomes during three COVID-19 phases. I find adaptive trends over time: during the initial phase, higher field premium is associated with 4.1\% rise in working hours but not higher earnings. In subsequent phases, a one-unit increase in field premium is associated with 11.8-18.1\% higher monthly earnings and 5.2-7.2\% more weekly working hours. The study suggests that resilience by field-of-study builds gradually over time.

Date: 2025-08, Revised 2026-04
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