Unpacking the Post-Lockdown Employment Recovery of Young Women in the Global South

49 Pages Posted: 25 May 2022

See all articles by Douglas Scott

Douglas Scott

University of Oxford

Richard Freund

University of Oxford

Marta Favara

University of Oxford - Department of International Development

Catherine Porter

Lancaster University - Department of Economics

Alan Sánchez

Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE)

Abstract

This paper analyses the difference in short-term employment recovery between young men and women in India, Peru and Vietnam following the national lockdowns imposed in all three countries during 2020. We employ a mediation model to establish whether - and to what extent – commonly suggested mechanisms are responsible for a relatively slower recovery among young women and an increase in the gender employment gap. In line with the literature, we find evidence that the unequal distribution of caring responsibilities explains a meaningful proportion of the disparity in Peru and Vietnam, but a smaller share of the change in the employment gap in India. Contrary to the previous literature, however, we find little evidence that the work activity performed before the pandemic explains the slower female recovery in any of the three study countries.

Keywords: COVID-19, job loss, work resilience, gender gap

JEL Classification: J21, J16, J6

Suggested Citation

Scott, Douglas and Freund, Richard and Favara, Marta and Porter, Catherine and Sánchez, Alan, Unpacking the Post-Lockdown Employment Recovery of Young Women in the Global South. IZA Discussion Paper No. 14829, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4114368 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4114368

Douglas Scott (Contact Author)

University of Oxford

Mansfield Road
Oxford, OX1 4AU
United Kingdom

Richard Freund

University of Oxford

Mansfield Road
Oxford, OX1 4AU
United Kingdom

Marta Favara

University of Oxford - Department of International Development ( email )

United Kingdom

Catherine Porter

Lancaster University - Department of Economics ( email )

Lancaster LA1 4YX, LA1 4YX
United Kingdom

Alan Sánchez

Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE) ( email )

Av. Almirante Grau #915
Lima 4
Peru

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