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Demographic Shocks and Women’s Labor Market Participation: Evidence from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in India

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: How did the 1918 influenza pandemic affect female labor force participation in India over the short run and the medium run? We use an event-study approach at the district level and four waves of decadal census data in order to answer this question. We find that districts most adversely affected by influenza mortality saw a temporary increase in female labor force participation in 1921, an increase that was concentrated in the service sector. We find suggestive evidence that distress labor supply by widows and rising wages help account for this result.

Source: The Journal of Economic History

DOI: 10.1017/s0022050722000304

Authors: James Fenske, Bishnupriya Gupta, Song Yuan

Institutions: University of Warwick, Zhejiang University

Language: English

Topic: Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Reduced inequalities, Gender equality, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,069