Policy Briefs
The Effects of COVID-19 on Labor Market Outcomes in Turkey
No.
PB 72
Publisher
ERF
Date
December, 2021
Topic
I. Health, Education, and Welfare
In a nutshell
- We designed and conducted a comprehensive survey representative at national level, HCOVIDA, to collect information about the changes in the labor market and the household incomes in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- We report that women who have children and do not have a high school degree constitute the most vulnerable group both against employment and income losses.
- The self-employed and informally employed also shouldered the economic hardship of the pandemic.
- Among the university degree holders, the detrimental labor market effects of having children or being a woman are considerably small.
- We recommend that social assistance policies designed in response to large economic shocks such as the COVID-19 should have broader coverage, particularly including more vulnerable groups such as the informally employed or self-employed.
- The pandemic further exacerbated the gender divide in paid work. Future policy should work to alleviate the long-term effects of employment losses among women.
- Childcare remains an essential policy area in Turkey. When parents, especially mothers, do not have access to childcare, their labor market outcomes deteriorate. Therefore, any labor market policy aimed to improving labor market outcomes should have a built-in childcare component.
Authors
Aysun Hızıroğlu Aygün
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Istanbul Technical...
Authors
Selin Köksal
PhD Candidate in Public Policy and Administration...
Research Associates
Gokce Uysal
Independent Researcher