Meteorological disasters and labor allocation in rural China: A gendered perspective

Rural households engage in labor allocation to tackle agricultural loss stemming from meteorological shocks, whereas the intra-household allocation strategy remains unclear in this process. This study examines the impact of meteorological disasters on the allocation of labor within rural households from the perspective of gender heterogeneity. We construct a meteorological disaster index and investigate its impact on rural labor markets in China by using 15 years of longitudinal data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Our analysis reveals significant gender disparities in rural labor allocation in response to meteorological disasters, with one standard deviation increase in the meteorological disaster index from the last year elevating the proportion of male non-farm employment by 3.00 % and posing no effect for females. This structural shift results in a reduction in females’ investment in non-farm activities and an increase in their engagement in farm work and household chores. We identify three critical factors that contribute to this gender-differentiated impact: industry affiliation differences, variations in expected returns, and gendered social norms. Our findings highlight the unequal impact of meteorological disasters on rural labor markets and provide novel insights for the formulation of targeted policies aimed at enhancing women’s resilience and adaptability in job markets affected by natural disasters.