ABSTRACT

Coupled with data on the occurrence of historical epidemics, this study examines the impact of an epidemic on the labor force participation rate of the affected country. We find robust evidence that the outbreak of an epidemic alters human behavior and negatively affects the labor force participation rate. The negative impact could be attributed to cultural attitudes toward uncertainty avoidance. A country with a higher uncertainty avoidance index will suffer from a more significant decline in the labor force participation rate. The negative impact is more pronounced among males and younger workers in low- and middle-income countries.

中文翻译：

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劳动力参与率对流行病的反应：来自跨国分析的证据

摘要

结合历史流行病的发生数据，本研究检验了流行病对受影响国家劳动力参与率的影响。我们发现有力的证据表明，这种流行病的发生改变了人类的行为，并对劳动力参与率产生了负面影响。负面影响可归因于文化对避免不确定性的态度。一个具有较高不确定性回避指数的国家将遭受劳动力参与率更大幅度的下降。在低收入和中等收入国家，男性和年轻工人的负面影响更为明显。