Determinants of Fertility, Women's Health and Employment Behavior in Sri Lanka

The paper analyzes the labor market during 1992-2009, the wartime years, and uses the findings to help understand implications for the labor market as the economy grows and recovers from the conflict. The analysis is primarily based on annual Labor Force Survey (LFS) data collected by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) between 1992 and 2009. The paper excludes the North and East from the analysis because the labor market in these provinces was functioning in atypical times, and was affected severely by the security situation. The 2006 moving out of poverty study conducted in conflict areas noted large outmigration of the better off households and the reliance on those left behind on remittances (Center for Poverty Analysis 2006). The study also found that private sector investment had largely dwindled in these provinces, and the main source of jobs was public employment. Looking ahead, over the next 15 years, demand for workers in industry is likely to increase as rebuilding and recovery in the North and East proceeds. In addition, demand for highly skilled workers to meet the needs of the expanding services sector, particularly higher-end services, will also increase. Analyzing the empirical trends using the LFS, it is clear that increasing female labor force participation, addressing high youth unemployment and its causes, and addressing the negative aspects of certain labor market regulations will be key to meeting the needs of a growing economy. The paper is organized as follows. The two sections that follow present an overview of the supply and demand side of the labor market. The next section discusses the ways in which the demographic transition could shape the labor market, particularly in terms of unemployment and earnings. This discussion is followed by three sections examining labor force participation and unemployment, job type, and earnings respectively. The last section concludes with some policy recommendations.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2012-10
Subjects:	ABORTION, ADEQUATE NUTRITION, ADULT LIFE, AGE AT MARRIAGE, AGE GROUPS, AGED, AGING, BIRTH ORDER, BREAST, BREAST CANCER, CANCERS, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, CERVICAL CANCER, CHANCES OF SURVIVAL, CHILD DEVELOPMENT, CHILD HEALTH, CHILD MORTALITY, CHILD NUTRITION, CHILD WELFARE, CHILDBEARING, CHILDHOOD, CHILDREN PER WOMAN, CHRONIC MALNUTRITION, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, CONTRACEPTION, CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD, CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS, CULTURAL FACTORS, DEATHS, DECISION MAKING, DECLINE IN FERTILITY, DEMOGRAPHIC GOALS, DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION, DIABETES, DISADVANTAGED GROUPS, DISEASES, DOCTORS, DRUGS, DYING, ECONOMIC GROWTH, EDUCATED MOTHERS, ELDERLY, EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN, EMPOWERMENT, EQUALITY, FAMILIES, FAMILY COMPOSITION, FAMILY FORMATION, FATHER, FEMALE, FEMALE STERILIZATION, FEMALES, FERTILITY, FERTILITY LEVELS, FERTILITY PREFERENCES, FERTILITY RATE, FERTILITY RATES, FERTILITY TRENDS, FEWER CHILDREN, FIRST BIRTH, FIRST INTERCOURSE, FIRST MARRIAGE, FORMAL EDUCATION, FORMAL SCHOOLING, GENDER, GENDER ROLES, HEALTH BEHAVIOR, HEALTH BURDEN, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, HEALTH INFORMATION, HEALTH INSURANCE, HEALTH POLICY, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH TRENDS, HIV/AIDS, HOSPITAL, HOSPITALS, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SIZE, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUSBAND, HUSBANDS, HYPERTENSION, ILLNESSES, INFANT, INFANT MORTALITY, INFANT MORTALITY RATES, INSURANCE SCHEMES, INTERCOURSE, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, LABOR MARKET, LEGAL STATUS, LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT, LIFE EXPECTANCY, LIVE BIRTHS, LONGER INTERVALS BETWEEN BIRTHS, LOW FERTILITY, MARITAL FERTILITY, MARITAL STATUS, MARRIAGES, MARRIED WOMEN, MEDICAL RESEARCH, MEDICINES, MENOPAUSE, METHOD OF CONTRACEPTION, MIDWIFE, MIDWIFES, MIDWIVES, MODERN CONTRACEPTIVES, MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, MORTALITY RATE, MOTHER, NEWBORNS, NO MORE CHILDREN, NUMBER OF BIRTHS, NUMBER OF CHILDREN, NUTRITION, NUTRITIONAL STATUS, NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF WOMEN, OBESITY, ORAL CANCER, OUTPATIENT CARE, PARENTHOOD, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, PLACE OF RESIDENCE, POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT, POPULATION CHANGE, POPULATION GROWTH, POPULATION ISSUES, PREGNANT WOMEN, PREVENTABLE DISEASES, PRIMARY CAREGIVERS, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PUBLIC POLICY, REPLACEMENT LEVEL, REPRODUCTIVE AGE, REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, REPRODUCTIVE LIFE, RISK FACTORS, RURAL AREAS, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SECONDARY SCHOOLING, SELF-IMAGE, SINGLE WOMEN, SOCIAL EXCLUSION, SOCIAL INSURANCE, SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS, STERILIZATION, SURVIVAL OF CHILDREN, TRANSPORTATION, TV, UNEDUCATED WOMEN, UNIVERSAL ACCESS, URBAN AREAS, USER FEES, VULNERABILITY, VULNERABLE GROUPS, WILL, WOMEN'S HEALTH, WORKERS, WORKFORCE, YOUNG CHILDREN, YOUTH,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/10/17056883/determinants-fertility-womens-health-employment-behavior-sri-lanka https://hdl.handle.net/10986/18011
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