The Legacy of the Missing Men: The Long-Run Impact of World War I on Female Labor Force Participation

Victor Gay (1, 2)

1 TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics
2 IAST - Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse

This article explores the pathways that underlie the diffusion of women's participation in the labor force across generations. I exploit a severe exogenous shock to the sex ratio, World War I in France, which generated a large inflow of women in the labor force after the war. I show that this shock to female labor transmitted to subsequent generations until today. Three mechanisms of intergenerational transmission account for this result: parental transmission, transmission through marriage, and transmission through local social interactions. Beyond behaviors, the war also permanently altered beliefs toward the role of women in the labor force.

Mots clés: Social norm; Military fatalities; Female labor force participation; Female labor supply; Intergenerational transmission; World War I; Gender norms; Economic History; Culture

Domaines: Economies et finances; Sciences de l'Homme et Société

Victor Gay. The Legacy of the Missing Men: The Long-Run Impact of World War I on Female Labor Force Participation. 2021. ⟨hal-02523129v3⟩