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The market-reach of pandemics: Evidence from female workers in Ethiopia’s ready-made garment industry

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  • Meyer, Christian Johannes
  • Hardy, Morgan
  • Witte, Marc
  • Kagy, Gisella
  • Demeke, Eyoual

Abstract

In a globalized world, pandemics transmit impacts through markets. We document employment changes, coping strategies, and welfare of garment factory workers in Ethiopia’s largest industrial park during the early stages of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. We field a phone survey of female workers during a two month period in which cases are rapidly rising globally, but not locally. Our data suggest significant changes in employment, high levels of migration away from urban areas to rural areas if women are no longer working, and high levels of food insecurity. These findings compel a research and policy focus on documenting and mitigating the market-reach of pandemics on low-income workers at the margins.

Suggested Citation

  • Meyer, Christian Johannes & Hardy, Morgan & Witte, Marc & Kagy, Gisella & Demeke, Eyoual, 2021. "The market-reach of pandemics: Evidence from female workers in Ethiopia’s ready-made garment industry," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:137:y:2021:i:c:s0305750x20303065
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105179
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. De Paz Nieves,Carmen & Gaddis,Isis & Muller,Miriam, 2021. "Gender and COVID-19 : What have we learnt, one year later ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9709, The World Bank.
    2. Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak & Edward Miguel, 2022. "The Economics of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poor Countries," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 14(1), pages 253-285, August.
    3. Yifan Zhong & Yameng Li & Jian Ding & Yiyi Liao, 2021. "Risk Management: Exploring Emerging Human Resource Issues during the COVID-19 Pandemic," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-23, May.
    4. Kathrin Durizzo & Edward Asiedu & Antoinette van der Merwe & Isabel Günther, 2022. "Economic Recovery but Stagnating Mental Health During a Global Pandemic? Evidence from Ghana and South Africa," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(2), pages 563-589, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; Ethiopia; Industrial Parks; Employment; Migration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J65 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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