The market-reach of pandemics: Evidence from female workers in Ethiopia's ready-made garment industry

Christian Johannes Meyer, Morgan Hardy, Marc Witte, Gisella Kagy, Eyoual Demeke

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In a globalized world, pandemics transmit impacts through markets. We document employment changes, coping strategies, and welfare of garment factory workers in Ethiopia's largest industrial park during the early stages of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. We field a phone survey of female workers during a two month period in which cases are rapidly rising globally, but not locally. Our data suggest significant changes in employment, high levels of migration away from urban areas to rural areas if women are no longer working, and high levels of food insecurity. These findings compel a research and policy focus on documenting and mitigating the market-reach of pandemics on low-income workers at the margins.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number105179
JournalWorld Development
Volume137
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2021

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • Employment
  • Ethiopia
  • Industrial Parks
  • Migration

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Development
  • Economics and Econometrics
  • Sociology and Political Science

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