What Explains the Stagnation of Female Labor Force Participation in Urban India?

Stephan Klasen and Janneke Pieters

No 7597, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We study the surprisingly low level and stagnation of female labor force participation rates in urban India between 1987 and 2009. Despite rising growth, fertility decline, and rising wages and education levels, women's labor force participation stagnated at around 18%. Using five large cross-sectional micro surveys, we find that a combination of supply and demand effects have contributed to this stagnation. The main supply side factors were rising household incomes, husband's education, stigmas against educated women engaging in menial work, and falling selectivity of highly educated women. On the demand side, employment in sectors appropriate for educated women grew less than the supply of educated workers, leading many women to withdraw from the labor force.

Keywords: female labor force participation; education; India (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I25 J16 J20 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 43 pages
Date: 2013-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-lab and nep-lma
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (25)

Published - published in: World Bank Economic Revew, 2015, 29 (3), 449-478

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Related works:
Journal Article: What Explains the Stagnation of Female Labor Force Participation in Urban India? (2015)
Working Paper: What explains the stagnation of female labor force participation in urban India ? (2015)
Working Paper: What explains the stagnation of female labor force participation in urban India? (2013)
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