Impacts of Trade Openness with China on Labour Market Outcomes for Canadian Women in the Manufacturing Sector

Abstract

Trade liberalization between Canada and China has increased drastically since the 2000s, which could imply change in outcomes for Canadians in the labour market. This thesis looks at the consequences of increased trade openness with China on Canadian women across the manufacturing sector by assessing the effects on weekly hours at work and real hourly wages. The results suggest that there is a total negative effect by import and export exposure with China on weekly hours worked for females for the years of 1997 and 2005, and a positive impact in 2015. Meanwhile, there is a total negative effect from import and export exposure with China on real hourly wages by for all three years for females.