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Trade in appliances, household production, and labor force participation

Pamela Medina et al.

Journal of International Economics2026https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2026.104241article
AJG 4ABDC A*
Weight
0.50

Abstract

We examine how trade influences female labor supply through reductions in the prices of household appliances that substitute for domestic labor. Using a comprehensive data set from 1981 to 2017, which includes four population censuses, household surveys, and customs records from Peru, we show that labor force participation rose at the same time that appliance import prices fell. We then develop and estimate a dynamic general equilibrium model of trade and household production, to quantitatively evaluate the aggregate impact of declining appliance prices. We find that the reduction in appliance prices during the sample period leads to an increase in female labor force participation that explains one tenth of the total rise in female labor participation in Peru over the past 30 years.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2026.104241

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@article{pamela2026,
  title        = {{Trade in appliances, household production, and labor force participation}},
  author       = {Pamela Medina et al.},
  journal      = {Journal of International Economics},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2026.104241},
}

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Trade in appliances, household production, and labor force participation

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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