Estimation and Analysis of Gender-Specific Labor Demand Functions in Iran

Despite the low participation rate of women in the labor market, the unemployment rate of women has increased significantly and has exceeded the unemployment rate of men in the last three decades. This paper focuses on the factors which affect labor demand considering gender using the data for the period 1986-2017. Based on the Multiple-Equation Generalized Method of Moments estimator, the results demonstrate that non-oil GDP has a positive and significant, and relative wages, capital-labor ratio, and labor costs–capital costs ratio have a negative and significant impact on labor demand by gender. The results of model estimation show that the speed of labor adjustment toward the desired level for female labor is slower compared to male labor. Furthermore, it is denoted that non-oil GDP affects labor demand positively with more impact on the female labor force. Other findings indicate that in the Iran’s labor market, male and female labors are substitutes hence, policies like wage subsidies for employing female labor force can stimulate female labor demand in a positive and significant way. On the other hand, as it is found that labor and capital are substitutes, policies that make labor more costly than capital may result in employment reduction. Finally, the technological progress that arises from increases in capital per capita has a negative and significant effect on both the female and male labor force.