Does investment in disability matter? Disability and labor market participation in Tanzania

• In Event: Transitions from School to Work: How Barriers and Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities Vary by Context

Proposal

Numerous studies have shown the social and economic returns to education. While there have been some studies estimating the returns on education for individuals with disabilities in Asia, there is a dearth of research focusing on this topic especially in African context. This paper aims to fill this gap by utilizing data from the nationally representative Integrated Labor Force Survey 2020/21 as well as National Panel Survey 2014/15 and 20/21 (wave 4 and 5) conducted in Tanzania. We compare the employment status considering the intersectionality of disability with other dimensions of equity, such as ethnicity, sex and gender identity, level of educational attainment, and family background (including household structure and socioeconomic status). Furthermore, we estimate and compare the returns on investment in education for individuals with and without disabilities, identifying variations in returns based on the type and severity of disability.

Authors

• Kamal Lamichhane, University of Tsukuba

• Takaki Takeda