IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecosys/v49y2025i1s0939362524000712.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The critical role of the health-care sector in promoting employment for women and migrants in the EU. A multicountry input-output analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Barba, Izaskun
  • Iraizoz, Belén

Abstract

A disproportionate concentration of women in low-pay and low-status sectors is a trend that has grown in significance with the globalization of production systems. For the health and social care sector, this has interesting socio-spatial implications, particularly in terms of immigration, the dimensions of which are worth investigating. This study employs the novel extended multiregional input-output FIGARO database to estimate the employment-generating capacity of the sector in the EU28, with a focus on the gender and geographic origin of its workers. The analysis takes into account both indirect and induced effects and considers both cross-country and cross-sectoral linkages. The findings identify the healthcare sector as a key source of employment for both national and immigrant women in more than half of EU countries. At the same time, this sector contributes to the earnings disadvantage experienced by women, which suggest that equality policies should consider the sectoral distribution of employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Barba, Izaskun & Iraizoz, Belén, 2025. "The critical role of the health-care sector in promoting employment for women and migrants in the EU. A multicountry input-output analysis," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 49(1).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecosys:v:49:y:2025:i:1:s0939362524000712
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecosys.2024.101249
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0939362524000712
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecosys.2024.101249?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barry Eichengreen & Poonam Gupta, 2013. "The two waves of service-sector growth," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 65(1), pages 96-123, January.
    2. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/4vsqk7docb9nmophtp29pk68cr is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Robert A. Blecker & Elissa Braunstein, 2022. "Feminist Perspectives on Care and Macroeconomic Modeling: Introduction to the Special Issue," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 1-22, July.
    4. Jani Bekő & Timotej Jagrič & Dušan Fister & Christine Brown & Peter Beznec & Hans Kluge & Tammy Boyce, 2019. "The economic effects of health care systems on national economies: an input-output analysis of Slovenia," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(37), pages 4116-4126, August.
    5. Hazari, Bharat R, 1970. "Empirical Identification of Key Sectors in the Indian Economy," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 52(3), pages 301-305, August.
    6. Sheba TEJANI & Sakiko FUKUDA‐PARR, 2021. "Gender and COVID‐19: Workers in global value chains," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 160(4), pages 649-667, December.
    7. Kim, Kijong & İlkkaracan, İpek & Kaya, Tolga, 2019. "Public investment in care services in Turkey: Promoting employment & gender inclusive growth," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 1210-1229.
    8. Olga Alonso-Villar & Coral Río, 2017. "Mapping the occupational segregation of white women in the US: Differences across metropolitan areas," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 96(3), pages 603-625, August.
    9. Mary Borrowman & Stephan Klasen, 2020. "Drivers of Gendered Sectoral and Occupational Segregation in Developing Countries," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 62-94, April.
    10. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/4vsqk7docb9nmophtp29pk68cr is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Ramos, Pedro & Alves, Hélio, 2017. "Migration intentions among Portuguese junior doctors: Results from a survey," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(12), pages 1208-1214.
    12. Claudia Hupkau & Barbara Petrongolo, 2020. "Work, Care and Gender during the COVID‐19 Crisis," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(3), pages 623-651, September.
    13. Albert O. Hirschman & Gerald Sirkin, 1958. "Investment Criteria and Capital Intensity Once Again," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 72(3), pages 469-471.
    14. Jérôme De Henau & Susan Himmelweit, 2021. "A Care-Led Recovery From Covid-19: Investing in High-Quality Care to Stimulate And Rebalance The Economy," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1-2), pages 453-469, April.
    15. Ilkkaracan, Ipek & Kim, Kijong & Masterson, Tom & Memiş, Emel & Zacharias, Ajit, 2021. "The impact of investing in social care on employment generation, time-, income-poverty by gender: A macro-micro policy simulation for Turkey," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    16. Bobbi Thomason & Inmaculada Macias‐Alonso, 2020. "COVID‐19 and raising the value of care," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 705-708, September.
    17. Stephanie Seguino, 2019. "Macroeconomic policy tools to finance gender equality," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(4), pages 504-525, July.
    18. Lenore Palladino, 2021. "Public Investment in Home Healthcare in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Win-Win Strategy," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1-2), pages 436-452, April.
    19. Yong Jin Kim & Chan Young Kim & Yong Jae Shin, 2017. "The effects of ubiquitous healthcare service on the south Korean Economy: using input–output analysis," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 1149-1160, October.
    20. Bjelle, Eivind Lekve & Kuipers, Koen & Verones, Francesca & Wood, Richard, 2021. "Trends in national biodiversity footprints of land use," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    21. Goštautaitė, Bernadeta & Bučiūnienė, Ilona & Milašauskienė, Žemyna & Bareikis, Karolis & Bertašiūtė, Eglė & Mikelionienė, Gabija, 2018. "Migration intentions of Lithuanian physicians, nurses, residents and medical students," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(10), pages 1126-1131.
    22. Wendy Harcourt, 2007. "Editorial: Beyond Us and Them: Migration and global economic development," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 50(4), pages 1-5, December.
    23. Yolanda Pena‐Boquete & Sergio De Stefanis & Manuel Fernandez‐Grela, 2010. "The distribution of gender wage discrimination in Italy and Spain: a comparison using the ECHP," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(2), pages 109-137, May.
    24. David L. Kay & James E. Pratt & Mildred E. Warner, 2007. "Role of Services in Regional Economy Growth," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 419-442, September.
    25. Jagrič, Timotej & Brown, Christine & Boyce, Tammy & Jagrič, Vita, 2021. "The impact of the health-care sector on national economies in selected European countries," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(1), pages 90-97.
    26. Umed Temurshoev & Jan Oosterhaven, 2014. "Analytical and Empirical Comparison of Policy-Relevant Key Sector Measures," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(3), pages 284-308, September.
    27. Gemma Scalise, 2023. "Labour market policy in the era of mass migration: perspectives on Europe," Chapters, in: Daniel Clegg & Niccolo Durazzi (ed.), Handbook of Labour Market Policy in Advanced Democracies, chapter 9, pages 116-131, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    28. Petrongolo, Barbara & Hupkau, Claudia, 2020. "Work, care and gender during the Covid-19 crisis," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108463, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    29. Timotej Jagrič & Stefan O. Grbenic & Vita Jagrič, 2020. "Health sector in North Macedonia - the analysis of the economic impact," International Journal of Sustainable Economy, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(3), pages 281-296.
    30. Casha, Annalise & Casha, Ramon & Azzopardi Muscat, Natasha, 2020. "Moving health professionals as an alternative to moving patients: The contribution of overseas visiting medical specialists to the health system in Malta," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(5), pages 519-524.
    31. Sheba Tejani & Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, 2021. "Gender and Covid-19: Workers in global value chains," Working Papers 2104, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.
    32. Júlia Varga, 2017. "Out-migration and attrition of physicians and dentists before and after EU accession (2003 and 2011): the case of Hungary," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 18(9), pages 1079-1093, December.
    33. Liu, Zhilin & Warner, Mildred E., 2009. "Understanding Geographic Differences in Child Care Multipliers: Unpacking IMPLAN's Modeling Methodology," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 39(01), pages 1-15.
    34. David Morgan & Michael Mueller, 2023. "Understanding international measures of health spending: Age-adjusting expenditure on health," OECD Health Working Papers 162, OECD Publishing.
    35. Tobias Emonts-Holley & Andrew Ross & Kim Swales, 2021. "Estimating induced effects in IO impact analysis: variation in the methods for calculating the Type II Leontief multipliers," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(4), pages 429-445, October.
    36. De Assis Cabral, Joilson & Domingues, Edson Paulo & Andrade, Mônica Viegas & Perobelli, Fernando Salgueiro & Barbosa Rodrigues, Lucas & Sousa Santiago, Flaviane, 2015. "Systemic analysis of the health sector through the input-output matrix, 2000-2005," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), August.
    37. Ferreira, Pedro L. & Raposo, Vitor & Tavares, Aida Isabel & Correia, Tiago, 2020. "Drivers for emigration among healthcare professionals: Testing an analytical model in a primary healthcare setting," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(7), pages 751-757.
    38. Lone Engbo Christiansen & Ms. Huidan Huidan Lin & Ms. Joana Pereira & Petia Topalova & Ms. Rima A Turk, 2016. "Individual Choice or Policies? Drivers of Female Employment in Europe," IMF Working Papers 2016/049, International Monetary Fund.
    39. Papanicolas, Irene & Marino, Alberto & Lorenzoni, Luca & Jha, Ashish, 2020. "Comparison of health care spending by age in 8 high-income countries," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 105109, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Reljic, Jelena & Zezza, Francesco, 2025. "Breaking the divide: Can public spending on social infrastructure boost female employment in Italy?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    2. Izaskun Barba & Belen Iraizoz, 2020. "Effect of the Great Crisis on Sectoral Female Employment in Europe: A Structural Decomposition Analysis," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Ferreira, Pedro L. & Raposo, Vitor & Tavares, Aida Isabel & Correia, Tiago, 2020. "Drivers for emigration among healthcare professionals: Testing an analytical model in a primary healthcare setting," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(7), pages 751-757.
    4. Livia Alfonsi & Mary Namubiru & Sara Spaziani, 2024. "Gender gaps: back and here to stay? Evidence from skilled Ugandan workers during COVID-19," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 999-1046, September.
    5. Jagrič, Timotej & Brown, Christine & Boyce, Tammy & Jagrič, Vita, 2021. "The impact of the health-care sector on national economies in selected European countries," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(1), pages 90-97.
    6. Fukai, Taiyo & Ikeda, Masato & Kawaguchi, Daiji & Yamaguchi, Shintaro, 2023. "COVID-19 and the employment gender gap in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    7. Gallo, Giovanni & Nagore García, Amparo, 2025. "Retirement Decisions in the Age of COVID-19 pandemic: Are Older Employees in Digital Occupations Working Longer?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1553, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    8. Kugler, Maurice & Viollaz, Mariana & Duque, Daniel & Gaddis, Isis & Newhouse, David & Palacios-Lopez, Amparo & Weber, Michael, 2023. "How did the COVID-19 crisis affect different types of workers in the developing world?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    9. Hupkau, Claudia & Ruiz-Valenzuela, Jenifer & Isphording, Ingo E. & Machin, Stephen, 2023. "Labour Market Shocks and Parental Investments during the Covid-19 Pandemic," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    10. Mariana Viollaz & Mauricio Salazar-Saenz & Luca Flabbim & Monserrat Bustelo & Mariano Bosch, 2022. "The COVID-19 Pandemic in Latin American and Caribbean countries: The Labor Supply Impact by Gender," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0296, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    11. Elisa Brini & Stefani Scherer & Agnese Vitali, 2024. "Gender and Beyond: Employment Patterns during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 43(3), pages 1-23, June.
    12. Boring, Anne & Moroni, Gloria, 2023. "Turning back the clock: Beliefs about gender roles during lockdown," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    13. Jinho Kim & Sujeong Park & S. V. Subramanian & Taehoon Kim, 2023. "The Psychological Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Heterogeneous Effects in South Korea: Evidence from a Difference-in-Differences Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 455-476, February.
    14. Schüller, Simone, 2025. "Estimating the Effect of Working from Home on Parents' Division of Childcare and Housework: A New Panel IV Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 17694, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Cezar Santos & Michèle Tertilt, 2023. "How Families Matter for Understanding Economic Inequality," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2023_456, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    16. Stephen Njoroge Kamau & Edward Katue Nzinga & Jacob Kimathi, 2025. "Authentic Leadership, Personal Characteristics, and Church Growth in Embu County, Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(1), pages 115-127, January.
    17. Giulia Bettin & Isabella Giorgetti & Stefano Staffolani, 2024. "The impact of Covid-19 lockdown on the gender gap in the Italian labour market," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 1-33, March.
    18. Deole, Sumit S. & Deter, Max & Huang, Yue, 2023. "Home sweet home: Working from home and employee performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    19. Radike, Monika & Zuromskis, Tadas, 2023. "Lithuanian physicians practising abroad: Reasons to leave and conditions to return to Lithuania. A survey," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 75-83.
    20. Kanchana N Ruwanpura, 2023. "Frayed social safety: Social networks, stigma, and COVID-19 – The case of Sri Lankan garment workers," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 41(7), pages 1317-1332, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health and social care sector; Input-output; Gender; Migration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D57 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Input-Output Tables and Analysis
    • F66 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Labor
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecosys:v:49:y:2025:i:1:s0939362524000712. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/osteide.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.