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Accounting for Differences in Female Labor Force Participation between China and India

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  • Azam Mehtabul

    (Department of Economics, Oklahoma State University, 376 Business Building, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA)

  • Han Luyi

    (Department of Economics, Oklahoma State University, 390 Business Building, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA)

Abstract

Although, the male labor force participation rate is comparable in China and India, female labor force participation rate remains very low in India. In this paper, we examine the factors responsible for the difference in female labor force participation rate between the two countries by carrying out decomposition exercise at three points of time covering two decades. We find that the differences in female labor force participation rate are not explained by the differences in characteristics across the two countries in each of the three year studied. The differences in returns to these characteristics explain most of the differences in participation rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Azam Mehtabul & Han Luyi, 2020. "Accounting for Differences in Female Labor Force Participation between China and India," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:20:y:2020:i:2:p:17:n:14
    DOI: 10.1515/bejeap-2019-0302
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    Cited by:

    1. Evans David K. & Akmal Maryam & Jakiela Pamela, 2021. "Gender gaps in education: The long view," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    female labor force; China; India; Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J82 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Labor Force Composition

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