Trade Openness and Labor Force Participation in Africa: The Role of Political Institutions*
利用48个撒哈拉以南非洲国家1985-2012年的数据，研究贸易开放对劳动力参与率的影响，发现政治制度质量越高，开放带来的劳动力参与提升越大，对男性和女性均适用。
Trade liberalization is usually expected to lead to greater economic activity including higher labor force participation rates. Using data from forty‐eight Sub‐Saharan African countries over the period 1985–2012, we explore the impact of trade openness on labor force participation rates ( LFPR ), and examine how political institutions such as democracy, political rights, and civil liberties can play a role in driving this relationship in the above group of low‐income countries. The estimated marginal impact of openness on LFPR shows that LFPR is increasing with the level of institutional quality. In particular, political institutions are critical in enhancing the benefit from openness. Our conclusions are similar for male and female participation rates although the magnitudes of the former are higher, thus confirming that improving institutions can generate greater labor market benefits from trade in poor countries.