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Household asset wealth and female labor supply in MENA

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  • AlAzzawi, Shireen
  • Hlasny, Vladimir

Abstract

Female labor force participation rates in the Middle East and North Africa are low compared to other world regions. This study contributes to the literature explaining this phenomenon in Egypt (1998, 2006, 2012), Jordan (2010, 2016) and Tunisia (2014) by referring to women’s unearned incomes, whether in the form of household wealth, the presence of male earners in the household, or total male monthly income. We estimate probability models of women’s labor force participation, for the entire sample and, recognizing the role of wealth, by household wealth quintile. We find that the higher the wealth index of a woman’s household, the less likely the woman is to participate in the labor force. This result holds even when the presence of a male wage worker in the household is accounted for, and when male income is included. The degree of regional wealth inequality also has bearing on women’s labor force participation, but the results differ between Egypt, on the one hand, and Jordan and Tunisia, on the other hand. The magnitudes of the substitution and income effects on women’s labor force participation vary by country and survey wave, and particularly between women in different wealth quintiles.

Suggested Citation

  • AlAzzawi, Shireen & Hlasny, Vladimir, 2019. "Household asset wealth and female labor supply in MENA," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 3-13.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:quaeco:v:73:y:2019:i:c:p:3-13
    DOI: 10.1016/j.qref.2019.08.002
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    1. Shireen AlAzzawi & Vladimir Hlasny, 2020. "Vulnerable employment of Egyptian, Jordanian, and Tunisian youth: Trends and determinants," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-166, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Jheelum Sarkar, 2026. "Droughts and Deluges: Non-Linear Effects of Climate Extremes on the Gender Gap in Labour Supply," Papers 2602.07808, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2026.
    3. Hlasny, Vladimir & AlAzzawi, Shireen, 2019. "Asset inequality in the MENA: The missing dimension?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 44-55.
    4. Vladimir Hlasny & Shireen AlAzzawi, 2020. "Return Migration and Earnings Mobility in Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia," Working Papers 562, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East

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