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Title: Male-biased Demand Shocks and Women's Labor Force Participation: Evidence from Large Oil Field Discoveries

Citation Type: Working Paper

Publication Year: 2017

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Abstract: Do male-biased demand shocks affect women’s labor force participation? To study this question, we examine large oil field discoveries in the US South from 1900-1940. We find that oil wealth has a zero net effect on female labor force participation due to two opposing channels. Oil discoveries increase demand for male labor in oil mining and manufacturing and consequentially raise male wages. This leads to an increased marriage rate of young women, which could have depressed female labor force participation. But at the same time, oil wealth also increases demand for women in services, which counterbalances the marriage effect and leaves women’s overall labor force participation rate unchanged. Our findings demonstrate that when the nontradable sector is open to women, male-biased demand shocks in the tradable sector need not reduce female labor force participation.

Url: http://www.uni-konstanz.de/FuF/wiwi/workingpaperseries/WP_08_Maurer_Potlogea_2017.pdf

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Authors: Maurer, Stephan, E; Potlogea, Andrei, V

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Publication Number: 2017-08

Institution: University of Konstanz

Pages: 84

Publisher Location: Konstanz, Germany

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Family and Marriage, Gender, Labor Force and Occupational Structure

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