Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/249489 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Working Paper No. 2021/183
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
We examine the patterns and correlates of the productivity gap between male-owned and female-owned firms for informal enterprises in India. Female-owned firms are on average 45 per cent less productive than male-owned firms, with the clearest productivity gaps observed at the lower end of the productivity distribution. Using decomposition methods, we find that about 73 per cent of the productivity gap can be explained by structural effect, with the remainder being due to differences in observable characteristics as captured by composition effect. We also find that among observable characteristics, the most important contributing factors explaining the gender productivity gap are firm characteristics, such as firm size, age of the firm, assistance from the government, registration with state authorities, working on a contract basis, and maintaining accounts. Male-owned firms are more advantaged in these characteristics than female-owned firms.
Subjects: 
gender
productivity gap
India
decomposition methods
informal sector
JEL: 
J17
O17
O53
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-92-9267-123-5
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
815.05 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.