Female Schooling, Non-Market Productivity, and Labor Market Participation in Nigeria

71 Pages Posted: 2 Feb 2004

See all articles by Adebayo B. Aromolaran

Adebayo B. Aromolaran

Yale University - Economic Growth Center

Date Written: January 2004

Abstract

Economists have argued that increasing female schooling positively influences the labor supply of married women by inducing a faster rise in market productivity relative to non-market productivity. I use the Nigerian Labor Force Survey to investigate how own and husband's schooling affect women's labor market participation. I find that additional years of postsecondary education increases wage market participation probability by as much as 15.2%. A marginal increase in primary schooling has no effect on probability of wage employment, but could enhance participation rates in self-employment by about 5.40%. These effects are likely to be stronger when a woman is married to a more educated spouse. The results suggest that primary education is more productive in non-wage work relative to wage work, while postsecondary education is more productive in wage work. Finally, I find evidence suggesting that non-market work may not be a normal good for married women in Nigeria.

Keywords: Nigeria, Female Schooling, Women's Labor Market Participation, Non-Market Productivity

JEL Classification: I21, J22, J24, O15

Suggested Citation

Aromolaran, Adebayo B., Female Schooling, Non-Market Productivity, and Labor Market Participation in Nigeria (January 2004). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=493763

Adebayo B. Aromolaran (Contact Author)

Yale University - Economic Growth Center ( email )

Box 208269
New Haven, CT 06520-8269
United States
203-436-4827 (Phone)
203-432-3898 (Fax)

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