Turkey on the Fault Line: The Impact of the Earthquake on the Labor Market

Abstract

We assess the impact of the 2011 earthquakes of eastern Turkey on the labor market and the potential resilience strategy by exploring heterogeneity among subgroups. Our findings indicate a rise in low-skilled employment and an increase in the wage rates for low-skilled women following the earthquake. The instant response to earthquakes varies according to the residents' education level. The manufacturing sector was significant in enhancing the workers' resilience. The results further reveal that the return to the family business may have helped to mitigate the negative economic conditions created by the earthquakes.