Ban on female migrant workers: Skills-differentiated evidence from Sri Lanka

This study examines the skills-differentiated impact of a restrictive female labour migration policy in Sri Lanka using monthly departure data from 2012 to 2018 difference-in-difference model. The has resulted decreasing departures among lower-skilled groups—female domestic, unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled workers—and increasing middle-level professional workers. decrease groups is consistent with objectives existing evaluation studies, while increase higher-skilled workers literature on Family Background Report-related corruption mis-reporting skills avoid policy. Thus, Report associated higher involvement recruitment-related corruption, exposure vulnerability, lower foreign employment opportunities. also finds that it was appropriate exempt 45–49 year age group requirement 2017.