Covid-19 and caste inequalities in India: the critical role of social identity in pandemic-induced job losses

Using panel data for the period between April 2019 and September 2021, this paper investigates how the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns imposed differential labor market shocks on different social identity groups. We find that while all caste groups lost jobs in the first 2 months of the lockdown...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Deshpande, Ashwini (Author) , Ramachandran, Rajesh (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 07 June 2023
In: Applied economic perspectives and policy
Year: 2023, Volume: 45, Issue: 4, Pages: 1982-1997
ISSN:2040-5804
DOI:10.1002/aepp.13384
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Online Access:Verlag, kostenfrei: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/aepp.13384
Resolving-System, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13384
Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aepp.13384
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Author Notes:Ashwini Deshpande, Rajesh Ramachandran
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Summary:Using panel data for the period between April 2019 and September 2021, this paper investigates how the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns imposed differential labor market shocks on different social identity groups. We find that while all caste groups lost jobs in the first 2 months of the lockdown, the job losses for lowest-ranked caste are greater by factor of more than two. The data shows that caste gaps in employment outcomes remain sizeable, even when we compare groups within the same industry, occupations, or those who have completed secondary schooling. These findings suggest that caste is not merely a proxy for class, and identity-based policies might be essential to overcoming these disparities.
Item Description:Gesehen am 27.11.2023
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:2040-5804
DOI:10.1002/aepp.13384