Gender and Social Institutions in the Labour Markets: An Analytical Perspective on the Covid-19 Disruptions in Northeast India

Abstract

This article examines the trends and patterns of unpaid work performed by women in India’s North Eastern States and account for the factors that underlie these trends. It uses the two unit-level datasets from the National Sample Survey Office Employment and Unemployment Survey 2011–2012 and Periodic Labour Force Survey 2018–2019. The multinomial regression results found that illiterate and lower social stratum have more chances to engage in unpaid activities. It then explores the impact of COVID-19 on unpaid work activities among women in the northeast states. The telephonic conversation and informal interviews with different regional stakeholders have been substantiated along with the utilisation of the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy report on employment and unemployment for the second quarter of 2020 for nuanced analysis. The study found that women are losing their livelihood very fast during the pandemic and the effects are likely to linger for a more extended period.

JEL Codes: J16, J21, J22, R23