ERF 32nd Annual Conference – Parallel Sessions on Labor Economics
FromJun 14, 2026 To Jun 16, 2026
Hybrid Event
Featured at the ERF 32nd Annual Conference, this collection of Labor Economics papers comprehensively examines the critical intersections of gender dynamics, macroeconomic shifts, and socio-economic mobility across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Key Themes & Insights
- Female Labor Supply & Well-Being: A significant portion of the literature investigates the drivers and barriers influencing women’s empowerment and workforce participation. Studies explore how maternity leave extensions affect fertility decisions, the destabilizing impact of COVID-19 on maternal employment, the efficacy of institutional violence-prevention centers, and the role of higher education in shaping female agency and career retention.
- Macroeconomic & Systemic Shifts: The research addresses broader structural evolutions within the MENA labor market. Papers analyze the upcoming risks and complementary opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI), the relationship between personal income taxes and labor productivity, and the destabilizing effects of climate shocks on job markets.
- Mobility & Household Dynamics: Additional presentations delve into deep-seated structural barriers, exploring the root causes of intergenerational income stagnation and the unequal, gendered impacts of childbirth on household time allocation.
Agenda
Parallel Session 3: Intergenerational Mobility Outcomes
Date
14/06/2026
Time
From 11:30 am To 1:00 pm
Speakers
Authors
Mohammad Javad Dashtimanesh
Sharif University of Technology
Research Fellows
Mohammad Vesal
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Management and...
Research Associates
Gunes Arkadas Asik
Assistant Professor of Economics, TOBB Economics and...
Authors
Bilge Erten
Associate Professor of Economics, Institute for Health...
Research Fellows
Semih Tumen
Professor of Economics, TED University, Turkey
Authors
Hakan Ulucan
Associate Professor of Economics, Anadolu University
Research Fellows
Yasmine Abdelfattah
Assistant Professor of Statistics and Economics, University...
Research Fellows
Shireen AlAzzawi
Teaching Professor, Economics Department, Leavey School of...
Authors
Vladimir Hlasny
Economic Affairs Officer, UN Economic and Social...
Research Fellows
GholamReza K. Haddad
Associate Professor of Economics, Graduate School of...
Authors
Safoura Moeeni
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of...
Authors
Mojtaba Nazari
Sharif University of Technology
Papers
The Sibling Penalty: Unequal Gendered Effects of Childbirth on Sibling’s Time Allocation
This paper studies how childbirth reshapes intra-household time allocation in Iran, with a focus on... Read More
Shielding Women from Violence: The Effects of Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers on Intimate Partner Violence in Türkiye
We investigate the impact of Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers on the risk of intimate... Read More
Intergenerational Labor Market Transitions in MENA: Exploring the Impact of Climate Shocks
This paper examines how climate shocks influence intergenerational labor market transitions in the Middle East... Read More
Equal Opportunity Stagnation: Intergenerational Income Mobility in Iran
This paper examines intergenerational economic mobility in Iran using a synthetic panel constructed from repeated... Read More
Agenda
Parallel Session 11: Policy Interventions and Labor Market Outcomes
Date
15/06/2026
Time
From 11:30 am To 1:00 pm
Speakers
Research Fellows
Asena Caner
Professor of Economics, TOBB-University of Economics and...
Authors
Çağla Ökten
Associate Professor, Bilkent University
Research Fellows
Ceyhun Elgin
Professor of Economics , Bogazici University
Papers
Higher Education and Female Labor Supply: Evidence from a Large-Scale Expansion Policy
This paper investigates the causal impact of higher education on female employment by leveraging the... Read More
Low Taxes, Low Productivity? Labor Supply, Informality, and the Role of Personal Income Taxes in the MENA Region
This paper investigates the MENA Paradox, where low statutory personal income taxes coexist with low... Read More
Agenda
Parallel Session 20: Labor Market Dynamics
Date
16/06/2026
Time
From 11:00 am To 12:30 pm
Speakers
Authors
Ali Abboud
Department of Economics, American University of Beirut
Authors
Serena Canaan
Associate Professor of Economics, Simon Fraser University
Authors
Mahyar Rezazadeh
PhD Candidate in Economics, Simon Fraser University
Research Fellows
Nisreen Salti
Associate Professor, Department of Economics, American University...
Authors
Rozan Wehbe
Junior Economic Analyst, Bank Audi
Research Fellows
Shireen AlAzzawi
Teaching Professor, Economics Department, Leavey School of...
Authors
Vladimir Hlasny
Economic Affairs Officer, UN Economic and Social...
Papers
Where Have All the Mothers Gone? COVID and Mothers Leaving the Labor Force in Egypt
This paper looks at the effect of COVID on the gender gap in labor market... Read More
Women’s Labor Force Attachment in Jordan: Understanding Attrition, Retention, and Re-Entry
This paper examines women’s medium-run labor force trajectories in Jordan using the 2010–2016 Jordan Labor... Read More
How Exposed Are Workers in MENA to AI? Evidence on Employment Risk and Task Complementarity
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is taking over production processes worldwide and is making inroads even... Read More
Parallel Session 28: Demographic Shocks and Outcomes
Date
16/06/2026
Time
From 4:00 pm To 5:30 pm
Speakers
Research Fellows
GholamReza K. Haddad
Associate Professor of Economics, Graduate School of...
Authors
Fatma Mosaad
Research Manager, The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty...
Authors
Noha Adel
Research Manager, JPAL-MENA
Papers
Encouraging Babies with Time Off: The Impact of Maternity Leaves Extensions on Fertility Decisions in Iran
In recent decades, Iran has witnessed a significant decline in its Total Fertility Rate, a... Read More
Motherhood and Women’s Agency in Egypt: Evidence from a Staggered Difference-in-Differences Approach
This paper examines the causal effect of first-time motherhood on women’s agency in Egypt, a... Read More