scholarly journals Female Labour Force Participation Rates in Rural Pakistan: Some Fundamental Explanations and Policy Implications

1987 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ghaffar Chaudhry ◽  
Zubeda Khan

Labour supply is a key element in socio-economic development, and although the size, growth and composition of population have a strong bearing on its supply in an economy, the actual labour supply is a function of the labour force participation rate defined as the ratio of the population engaged in or seeking gainful employment to the working-age population. In Pakistan gainful employment means not only work for pay or profit but also unpaid help from family members, and the working-age population refers to the group of those aged 10 years or more. Although the use of labour force for computing participation rates has been criticised on the ground that it lays undue emphasis on market activities which have little relevance tb the less developed countries, particularly to the rural sector, (Standing 1978), it is nonetheless useful in studying household decisions regarding allocation of available time between productive and non-productive activities (Rees 1973). It is basically this division of labour between productive and non-productive activities that sheds light on the degree of development of an economy and, therefore, on the organization of factors of production (Yotopoulos 1986). The significance of rural participation rates, especially those of females, is noteworthy in this regard as there is a positive association between female productive work and the level of development achieved (Denti 1968). Female participation rates are also important for a proper understanding of the productive and reproductive roles of the population. As more than 70 percent of rural population depends on agriculture for its livelihood and rural females are nearly half of the total, their participation rates may be of critical importance in determining the rates of saving, investment and productivity in agriculture. It may also be noted that availability of labour in agriculture is also a function of the ready availability of female labour, especially for such operations as are performed exclusively by females, e.g. cotton picking.

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 487-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabi El-Khoury

This statistical file is concerned with the latest available data that might be useful in dealing with the issue of the labour force and unemployment in Arab countries and worldwide. Table 1 introduces data on the working-age populations, while Table 2 shows figures on the labour force participation rates. Table 3 provides statements on the percentage of children (between 5 and 14 years) who are working in Arab countries, while Table 4 presents figures on the labour force distribution by sector. Table 5 is concerned with data on the employment rates, while Table 6 presents data on labour distribution by level of education in selected Arab countries. Data on education outputs and labour market needs in selected Arab countries and on the perceptions of work and the labour market are shown in Tables 7 and 8 respectively.


2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-384
Author(s):  
William D. Walsh

This paper analyzes the cyclical behavior of the labour force participation rates, adds a marital status dimension to the customary age categories generally used and includes seperate measures of the additionnal and of the discouraged worker effect.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-43
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Bartosik ◽  

The paper investigates the effect of child cash benefit “Family 500+” on the female labour supply in Poland, taking into account demographic and cyclical determinants. The study is based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Polish Central Statistical Office quarterly data. The analyses cover the period of 2016–2018. The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is the measure of labour supply. The analysis uses a counterfactual method to determine the impact of demographic and behavioural changes on female labour supply. To identify the causes of the economic inactivity of women (adopted by LFS), decomposition of the growth rate of economically inactive women is applied. The effect of the business cycle on female labour supply is analysed using OLS recursive regression. The study found that the LFPR of women aged 25–44 decreased after 2015. This was related to the cash transfers under the “Family 500+” programme and the increasing number of economically inactive women by reason of “family and household responsibilities”. At the same time, changes in the demographic structure contributed positively to the LFPR of women aged 25–44, while the business cycle did not have a significant impact on it. OLS recursive regression showed that in the 25–44 age group, the introduction of “Family 500+” coincided with changes in the relationships between the LFPR, the percentage of the “discouraged”, economically inactive women by reason of “family responsibilities” and the unemployment rate.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorian Tsolak ◽  
Marvin Bürmann ◽  
Martin Kroh

Objective: This article studies the intergenerational stability of employment in families of immigrants cross-nationally by investigating to what extent contextual differences between sending and receiving countries affect the transmission of labour force participation from mothers to daughters. Background: It is often argued that a low level of labour force participation among female immigrants reflects gender norms inherited from the sending country, or, alternatively, that it is indicative of obstacles to social mobility in the receiving country. We seek to add to the existing research on this topic by providing evidence of differences between sending and receiving countries that systematically affect the labour market behaviour of female immigrants. Method: We use individual-level data from the European Social Survey (ESS) for 35 receiving countries for a 14-year period (2004-2018) in combination with contextual data for 172 sending countries from 1960 to 2018. First, we provide an overview of employment rates and intergenerational employment stability for different combinations of sending and receiving contexts with respect to the labour force participation rates of female immigrants. Second, we corroborate our descriptive findings with multilevel models. Results: Our paper shows that there are changes in the levels of intergenerational employment stability among immigrants depending on the differences in the female labour force participation rates between the sending and the receiving countries. We find that when women migrate from countries with low female labour force participation rates to countries with high female labour force participation rates, their probability of participating in the labour force increases. However, we also find that the levels of intergenerational employment stability in this group are high. Conclusion: Intergenerational employment stability seems to be responsive to contextual differences between sending and receiving countries. We observe the highest levels of intergenerational stability in employment between mothers and daughters in families who migrated from countries with low female labour force participation rates to countries with high female labour force participation rates.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Bhalotra ◽  
Manuel Fernández

We estimate the relative importance of alternative labour supply and demand mechanisms in explaining the rise of female labour force participation over the last 55 years in Mexico. The growth of female labour force participation in Mexico between 1960 and 2015 followed an S-shape, with a considerable acceleration during the 1990s. Using decomposition methods and a shift-share design, we show that, put together, supply and demand factors can account for the rise of female labour force participation over the period, led by increases in women’s education and shifts in the occupational structure of the workforce. However, there is unexplained variation in the 1990s, when female labour force participation spiked.


Author(s):  
Michael Prince

ABSTRACT This article examines the labour force participation of working-age adults with disabilities, and proposes nonprofits and community agencies as sites for employing disabled Canadians. It documents employment trends over the last 15 years and how they compare to those for people without disabilities. The employment reform agenda of the Canadian disability movement is outlined as two broad approaches: distributional improvements and structural innovations. Inclusive and gainful employment is regarded as an essential part of economic and social citizenship. The challenges of labour force participation for adults with disabilities are then related to recent reports on Canada’s aging population and to Harper government policies on employment for Canadians with disabilities. Finally, it explores applying a disability inclusion lens to the operations of social economy organizations. RÉSUMÉCet article porte sur la participation active des adultes en âge de travailler ayant des incapacités et propose la possibilité d'organismes sans but lucratif et des organismes communautaires comme un site d'emploi pour les Canadiens handicapés. Il documente les tendances de l'emploi au cours des 15 dernières années et comment ils se comparent aux personnes non handicapées. Le programme de réformes du travail du mouvement des personnes handicapées est décrite et approches de la réforme sont dites de diviser en deux grandes catégories : des améliorations et innovations structurelles. Travail rémunéré et inclusif est considéré comme une partie essentielle de la citoyenneté économique et sociale avec le préposé aux droits et responsabilités. Les défis de la participation de la population active pour les adultes ayant une déficience sont ensuite liés aux rapports publics récents sur la population vieillissante du Canada et aux décisions prises par le gouvernement conservateur Harper sur l'emploi pour les Canadiens ayant une déficience. Apprentissage politique et connaissances transfert peut se produire en appliquant une lentille d'inclusion des personnes handicapées aux activités des organisations d'économie sociale.


Author(s):  
Jacques Poot ◽  
Jacques J. Siegers

This paper reports the results of a New Zealand study of one aspect of household economics: the relationship between fertility behaviour and labour supply. Empirical research has shown that the presence of young children affects labour supply of the mother. New Zealand examples are Hyman (1979) and Harris and Raney (1991). However, Hockey and Khawaja (1984) found that a woman's labour force participation negatively affects fertility. In this paper we argue that fertility and labour force participation decisions are determined jointly rather than that there is a one-way causal relationship. We test this hypothesis by means of a simple regression model of fertility and female labour force participation using grouped data from 22 Local Government Regions (LGRs), pooled for the years 1976, 1981 and 1986. The next section discusses some of the theoretical issues. This is followed by a description of the data and a discussion of regression equations. After summing up the results, the last section provides some suggestions for further research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 896-912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Misbah Tanveer Choudhry ◽  
Paul Elhorst

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical model, which is aggregated across individuals to analyse the labour force participation rate, and empirical results to provide evidence of a U-shaped relationship between women’s labour force participation and economic development. Design/methodology/approach The U-shaped relationship is investigated by employing a panel data approach of 40 countries around the world over the period 1960–2005. It is investigated whether the labour force behaviour of women in different age groups can be lumped together by considering ten different age groups. Findings The paper finds evidence in favour of the U-shaped relationship. For every age group and explanatory variable in the model, a particular point is found where the regime of falling participation rates changes into a regime of rising participation rates. Research limitations/implications To evaluate this relationship, microeconomic analysis with primary data can also provide significant insights. Social implications Every country can narrow the gap between the labour participation rates of men and women in the long term. Fertility decline, shifts of employment to services, part-time work, increased opportunities in education, and the capital-to-labour ratio as a measure for economic development are the key determinants. Originality/value In addition to the U-shaped relationship, considerable research has been carried out on demographic transition. This paper brings these two strands of literature together, by econometrically investigating the impact of demographic transition on female labour force participation given its U-shaped relation with economic development, i.e., turning points for different explanatory variables are calculated and their implications for economic growth are discussed.


1978 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Zeba A. Sathar

The objective of this paper is to provide some estimates of the length of working life for males in Pakistan, using the more recently available data. The length of working life is defined as the average length of time for which a cohort can expect to remain in the labour force i.e. either actively employed or seeking employment. This measure is, determined by the levels of age-specific mortality of a hypothetical cohort and its levels of age-specific labour force participation. Therefore an improvement in mortality would tend to increase the length of economically active life and its deterioration would tend to shorten it. Other factors which influence the age-specific labour force participation and age-specific mortality rates are the indirect determinants of this measure. For example, improvements in health and medical facilities may reduce the incidence of premature retirements caused by physical ailments or disorders. Also, migration, nuptiality, fertility and school attendance rates may influence labour force participation rates and thereby affect the length of working life.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-30
Author(s):  
Demet Beton-Kalmaz

The relationship between gender inequality and economic growth has become one of the most interesting and debated issues both in the academic literature and the policy arena. The aim of this study is to investigate how gender inequalities in the labour force participation (LFP) in North Cyprus undermine the per capita output of the country. Thus, the study is designed to estimate the simulation of a possible increase in per capita GDP based on 2011 data generated by the catch up of north female labour force participation rates to the south for the year 2011. Different age categories for female labour force are considered for the measurement. The age categories distributed within the working age population including female labour force population between the ages 15 and over. The age categories are divided into 5 groups as including the female participants between the age from 15 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, and 55 and over. Data used is obtained from the State Planning Organization (SPO) of North Cyprus government for North Cyprus and from the World Bank database for South Cyprus. The North Cyprus labour force participation rates are adjusted to the south as suggested by Bryant et. al. (2004). Parallel to the previous literature, it is found that female labour force participation (FLFP) rate has a positive impact on GDP in North Cyprus. There would have been a 4% higher per capita GDP with the catch up of north to south FLFP rate which might be a substantial contribution towards decreasing the income gap between north and south.


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