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Trade liberalization and gender gaps in local labor market outcomes: Dimensions of adjustment in the United States

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  • Besedeš, Tibor
  • Lee, Seung Hoon
  • Yang, Tongyang

Abstract

We provide empirical results that trade liberalization with China reduced gender gaps in local U.S. labor markets. In MSAs with higher exposure to trade liberalization, the simple wage gender gap decreased, while the residual wage gap increased, indicating important selection effects in labor force participation decisions. The reduction in the gender labor force participation gap was driven by higher entry of women, in particular more educated women, and exit of the less educated men. This results in intrahousehold adjustments in work dynamics, with women entering the labor force to offset the lost income of male partners who left the labor force. We show that trade liberalization increased female workers’ unemployment rate and reliance on part-time jobs.

Suggested Citation

  • Besedeš, Tibor & Lee, Seung Hoon & Yang, Tongyang, 2021. "Trade liberalization and gender gaps in local labor market outcomes: Dimensions of adjustment in the United States," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 574-588.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:183:y:2021:i:c:p:574-588
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2020.12.020
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    Cited by:

    1. Ishan Ghosh & Mario Larch & Irina Murtazashvili & Yoto V. Yotov, 2022. "Negative Trade Shocks and Gender Inequality: Evidence from the USA," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(355), pages 564-591, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trade liberalization; Gender wage gap; Gender labor participation gap;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • F66 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Labor
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General

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