Losing in a Boom: Long-term Consequences of a Local Economic Shock for Female Labour Market Outcomes

Abstract

This paper examines the long-term labour market consequences of a positive economic shock, the first discovery of oil and gas in Norway. Existing studies focus on the short-term and men, while less is known about women and the persistence of such shocks. Oil discovery increased male earnings (by 7%), while female earnings declined (by 10%). These shifts persist for two decades. Labour force participation and occupational change account for the earnings divergence. Within married couples, wives’ earnings declined, but household earnings increased. However, women’s income loss in oil regions is transitory: younger cohorts catch up to women in non-oil regions.