Precarious Drop : Reassessing Patterns of Female Labor Force Participation in India

Andres, Luis A. ; Dasgupta, Basab ; Joseph, George ; Abraham, Vinoj ; Correia, Maria

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: LABOR DIAGNOSTICS;    FEMALE LABOR FORCE;    LABOR MARKET;    WOMEN IN WORKFORCE;    EMPLOYMENT;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-8024
RP-ID  :  WPS8024

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper uses successive rounds ofNational Sample Survey Organization data from 1993-94 to2011-12, and draws from census data. This paper (i) providesa description of nearly two decades of patterns and trendsin female labor force participation in India; (ii) estimatesthe extent of the recent decline in female labor forceparticipation; and (iii) examines and assesses thecontribution of various demographic and socioeconomicfactors in explaining the female labor force participationdecision and the recent the drop. The analysis finds thatfemale labor force participation dropped by 19.6 millionwomen from 2004–05 to 2011–12. Participation declined by11.4 percent, from 42.6 to 31.2 percent during 1993–94 to2011–12. Approximately 53 percent of this drop occurred inrural India, among those ages 15 to 24 years. Factors suchas educational attainment, socioeconomic status, andhousehold composition largely contributed to the drop,although their effects were more pronounced in rural areas.Specifically, the analysis finds a U-shaped relationshipbetween levels of educational attainment and female laborforce participation. The decomposition of the contributionof these various determinants to the female labor forceparticipation decision suggests that stability in familyincome, as indicated by the increasing share of regular wageearners and declining share of casual labor in thecomposition of family labor supply, has led female familymembers to choose dropping out of, rather than joining, thelabor force. The findings of this paper suggest thatconventional approaches to increasing female labor forceparticipation (such as education and skills and legalprovisions) will be insufficient. Policies should center onpromoting the acceptability of female employment andinvesting in growing economic sectors that are moreattractive for female employment.