AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
The Influence of COVID-19 on Young Women's Labor Market Aspirations and Expectations in India
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 114,
May 2024
(pp. 243–47)
Abstract
Youth unemployment and gender gaps in labor market outcomes are key policy challenges across developing countries. Young job seekers may struggle to find jobs because of their biased beliefs and unrealistic aspirations about the labor market. We study whether exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the labor market aspirations and expectations of female vocational students in Haryana, India. We find that exposure to the pandemic lowered young women's wage aspirations and made them more realistic, especially in rural areas. A potential mechanism for these effects is the decline in rural women's willingness to migrate for work due to the pandemic.Citation
Anukriti, S, Catalina Herrera-Almanza, and Sophie Ochmann. 2024. "The Influence of COVID-19 on Young Women's Labor Market Aspirations and Expectations in India." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 114: 243–47. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20241119Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D84 Expectations; Speculations
- I12 Health Behavior
- I21 Analysis of Education
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
- J31 Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration