## Women Are Key for Future Growth: Evidence from Canada

_IMF Working Papers, July 19, 2017_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Women Are Key for Future Growth: Evidence from Canada](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2017/07/19/women-are-key-for-future-growth-evidence-from-canada-45047)

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## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Bengt Petersson, Rodrigo Mariscal, Kotaro Ishi
- Published: July 19, 2017
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484309247.001

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### Research question and data
- Research question: How important are female workers for economic growth?
- Data and scope:
  - Panel data for 10 Canadian provinces over 1990–2015.

### Key empirical findings
- A 1 percentage point increase in the labor force participation among women with high educational attainment would raise Canada’s overall labor productivity growth by 0.2 to 0.3 percentage point a year.
- If the current gap of 7 percentage points between male and female labor force participation with high educational attainment were eliminated, the level of real GDP could be about 4 percent higher today.

### Policy analysis and implications
- The government has stepped up efforts to improve gender equality as part of its growth strategy.
- The government’s plan to expand access to affordable child care is identified as a positive step.
- To maximize policy outcomes given a budget constraint, provision of subsidized child care—including publicly funded child care spaces—should be better targeted to working parents.

### Subjects and keywords (as listed)
- Subjects: Education, Gender, Gender diversity, Labor, Labor force, Labor force participation, Labor productivity, Production, Women
- Keywords: assistance program, benefit system, Canada, Canada child benefit program, child care fee, employment insurance, federal government, female participation, Global, labor force, Labor force participation, labor market, labor productivity, OECD economy, parental leave, productivity growth, taxation, Women, WP

### Publication metadata (selected)
- Pages: 46
- Volume: 2017
- Issue: 166
- Series: Working Paper No. 2017/166
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484309247.001
- ISBN: 9781484309247
- ISSN: 1018-5941
- Authors: Bengt Petersson, Rodrigo Mariscal, Kotaro Ishi
- Publication date: July 19, 2017

*Source: IMF Working Paper "Women Are Key for Future Growth: Evidence from Canada" (Working Paper No. 2017/166).*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2017/07/19/women-are-key-for-future-growth-evidence-from-canada-45047_