The Effects of Offshoring on the Gender Hours Gap in the Us

This paper examines the role of offshoring in the flattening out of female to male hours ratio in the US since early 1990s. The leveling off coincides with the rise in service offshoring and the fall in the share of occupations with high offshoring potential in female hours worked. I propose a model with two genders, two sectors, and a continuum of occupations. Due to higher female intensity in the service sector, the gender hours ratio falls when service offshoring rises. Quantitatively, the service offshoring plays an important role in explaining the plateau of the hours ratio after 1990s