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Gender and Monetary Policy: Labour Impacts of Exchange Rate Shocks

Author

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  • Louisa Roos

    (Department of Economics, Trinity College Dublin)

Abstract

This paper examines how women and men's labour respond differently to monetary policy changes, particularly exchange rate policy. The study leverages the unexpected unpegging of the Swiss franc from the Euro in 2015, which led to a significant appreciation of the Swiss franc. This currency appreciation increased women's work volume relative to men's. The effect is especially pronounced among the least educated women, who act as a labour buffer and are most responsive to macroeconomic fluctuations, underscoring the nuanced gender effects of monetary policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Louisa Roos, 2025. "Gender and Monetary Policy: Labour Impacts of Exchange Rate Shocks," Trinity Economics Papers tep0725, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tcd:tcduee:tep0725
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    File URL: https://www.tcd.ie/Economics/TEP/2025/TEP0725.pdf
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • B54 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Feminist Economics
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure

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