A nationally representative economic survey five months after the Haitian earthquake: Radical changes in household members and gender discrepancy in employment retention

Abstract

Five months after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Statistics without Borders conducted a nationally representative sample survey to examine economic impact using a random digit dial sample of mobile phone numbers. We analyzed the anonymized survey data and the questionnaire that they made available for public use. Radical changes in household members occurred among post-earthquake Haitian households. Similar changes of household members that are caused by natural disasters have been associated with long-term psychological well-being in the literature. The survey also provides a rare look at gender discrepancy in employment retention following a natural disaster from a nationally representative survey. While the overall employment rate was down by 50% five months after the earthquake, our findings indicate that households with female heads are at a significantly greater risk of losing employment.