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Macroeconomic Impacts of Gender Inequality and Informality in India

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  • Purva Khera

Abstract

This paper examines the macroeconomic interaction between informality and gender inequality in the labor market. A dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model is built to study the impact of gender-targeted policies on female labor force participation, female formal employment, gender wage gap, as well as on aggregate economic outcomes. The model is estimated using Bayesian techniques and Indian data. Although these policies are found to increase female labor force participation and output, lack of sufficient formal job creation due to labor market rigidities leads to an increase in unemployment and informality, and further widens gender gaps in formal employment and wages. Simultaneously implementing such policies with formal job creating policies helps remove these adverse impacts while also leading to significantly larger gains in output.

Suggested Citation

  • Purva Khera, 2016. "Macroeconomic Impacts of Gender Inequality and Informality in India," IMF Working Papers 2016/016, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2016/016
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    2. Ms. Janet Gale Stotsky & Mr. Asad Zaman, 2016. "The Influence of Gender Budgeting in Indian States on Gender Inequality and Fiscal Spending," IMF Working Papers 2016/227, International Monetary Fund.
    3. Ghani,Syed Ejaz & Grover,Arti & Kerr,Sari & Kerr,William Robert, 2016. "Will market competition trump gender discrimination in India ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7814, The World Bank.
    4. Alicia Girón & Amirreza Kazemikhasragh, 2022. "Gender Equality and Economic Growth in Asia and Africa: Empirical Analysis of Developing and Least Developed Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(2), pages 1433-1443, June.
    5. Neyer, Ulrike & Stempel, Daniel, 2021. "Gender discrimination, inflation, and the business cycle," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    6. Sanika Sulochani Ramanayake & Taniya Ghosh, 2017. "Role of Gender Gap in Economic Growth: Analysis on Developing Countries versus OECD Countries," Working Papers id:11690, eSocialSciences.
    7. International Monetary Fund, 2016. "India: Selected Issues," IMF Staff Country Reports 2016/076, International Monetary Fund.
    8. Muhammad M. Yakubu & Benedict N. Akanegbu & Jelilov G, 2020. "Labour Force Participation and Economic Growth in Nigeria," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 10(1), pages 1-1.
    9. Purva Khera, 2018. "Closing Gender Gaps in India: Does Increasing Womens’ Access to Finance Help?," IMF Working Papers 2018/212, International Monetary Fund.
    10. Janet G Stotsky & Asad Zaman, 2017. "The Influence of Gender Budgeting in Indian States on Gender Inequality and Fiscal Spending," Working Papers id:11587, eSocialSciences.

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