Does Co-Residence with Parents-In-Law Reduce Women’s Employment in India?

Rajshri Jayaraman () and Bisma Khan
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Rajshri Jayaraman: University of Toronto
Bisma Khan: University of Toronto

No 2023-004, Working Papers from Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group

Abstract: We examine the effect of co-residence with fathers- and mothers-in-law on married women's employment in India. Instrumental variable fixed effects estimates using two different household panel datasets indicate that co-residence with a father-in-law reduces married women's employment by 11-13%, while co-residence with a mother-in-law has no effect. Difference-in-difference estimates show that married women's employment increases following the death of a co-residing father-in-law, but not mother-in-law. We investigate three classes of explanations for this: income effects, increased domestic responsibilities, and social norms. Our evidence is consistent with gender- and generational norms intersecting to constrain married women’s employment when parents-in-law co-reside.

Keywords: female employment; family structure; Labor Supply; parents-in-law (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J16 J22 O12 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-01
Note: MIP
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http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Jayara ... educe-employment.pdf First version, January 17, 2023 (application/pdf)

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