Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/282657 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16530
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
The disparities in cross-country labor productivity are greater in agriculture than in other industries. I propose that the misallocation of female talent across sectors distorts productivity. I formalize the theory by using a general equilibrium Roy model with gender-specific frictions. If female workers experience higher frictions in nonagricultural sectors, then female workers who are better skilled at non-agricultural jobs may select into agricultural sector. From a sample of 66 countries, I find that low-income countries have higher frictions in non-agricultural industries. By setting frictions to US levels, agricultural labor productivity increases by 4.3-7.6 percent, nonagricultural labor productivity decreases by 0.7-1.4 percent, and GDP per capita increases by 0.8-1.5 percent.
Subjects: 
misallocation
gender
occupational choice
productivity
JEL: 
O11
O13
O47
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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