DEMOGRAPHIC SHOCKS AND WOMEN'S LABOR MARKET PARTICIPATION: EVIDENCE FROM THE 1918 INFLUENZA PANDEMIC IN INDIA

Bishnupriya Gupta, James Fenske and Song Yuan

No 15077, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: How did the 1918 influenza pandemic affect female labor force participation in India over the short run and the medium run? We use an event-study approach at the district level and four waves of decadal census data in order to answer this question. We find that districts most adversely affected by influenza mortality saw a temporary increase in female labor force participation in 1921, an increase that was concentrated in the service sector. By 1931, this increase had been reversed. We find suggestive evidence that distress labor supply by widows and rising wages help account for these results.

Keywords: Female labour force participation; Cultural norms; Demographic shocks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J11 J21 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cwa, nep-dem and nep-his
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Demographic Shocks and Women’s Labor Market Participation: Evidence from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in India (2022)
Working Paper: Demographic shocks and women’s labor market participation: evidence from the 1918 influenza pandemic in India (2020)
Working Paper: Demographic Shocks and Wowen's Labor Market Participation: Evidence from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in India (2020)
Working Paper: Demographic shocks and women’s labor market participation: evidence from the 1918 influenza pandemic in india (2020)
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