On the Demand for Female Workers in Japan: The Role of ICT and Offshoring

This paper examines the determinants of the demand for female workers, focusing on the role of information and communication technology (ICT) and offshoring. Estimating a system of variable factor demands for manufacturing industries between 1980 and 2011, we find that, whereas the ICT capital stock has significantly positive effects on the demand for low-, middle-high-, and high-skilled female workers, it has significantly negative effects on the demand for middle-low-skilled female workers. In contrast, offshoring has insignificant effects on the demand for female workers, which suggests that offshoring is at least neutral on the demand for female workers.