Labor Market Conditions and Gender Inequality: Evidence from the Brazilian Trade Liberalization

Orientador(a): Gabriel Ulyssea

This study investigates the effect of a plausibly exogenous trade shock on gender inequality in labor market outcomes, occupational and schooling choices. In the 1990's, Brazilian government decided to reduce import tariffs, inducing a large, once and for all trade liberalization, with heterogeneous effects across local economies. Using Brazilian Decennial Censuses, I estimate medium (1991-2000) and long (1991-2010) run effects on women's and men's outcomes and gender inequality in labor market. Results point that in harder hit regions women faced an increase in non-employment relative to men in the medium run, inducing a reduction in the share of women among those employed. Besides that, the gender wage gap increased in the medium run, but these effects did not persist in the long term.

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