COVID-19 and gender inequality in the labor market: the Philippine experience
Date
2022-05
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Abstract
This study examines whether COVID-19 exacerbated the existing gender gaps in the
Philippine labor market. Using the Labor Force Surveys for October 2019 and
October 2020, we perform probit regressions and post-estimation tests to compare the
labor market experience of men and women before and during the pandemic. Three
key indicators of labor market activities are analyzed: labor force participation,
employment, and decision not to work due to household responsibilities. These
outcomes are then assessed against a set of household-related characteristics such as
marital status, having young children, and being a household head. The results
confirm that significant gender gaps persist in terms of the contribution of the
household-related determinants in men and women’s probability of labor force
participation and employment during the pandemic. For instance, having young
children has contrasting effects on men's and women’s labor market activities:
positive for men but negative for women. Further the results confirm the gender bias
in terms of the decision not to work or look for work due to family duties. Being
married and having young children significantly increase women’s probability of
performing unpaid household work, while there is no similar evidence for men. On a
positive note, our results do not provide evidence that COVID-19 exacerbated the
gender gaps in terms of the contribution of household-related variables to labor force
participation, employment, and performance of unpaid household work.
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Keywords
COVID-19, gender gap, employment, labor force participation