The Impact of Gender Unemployment on Environmental Pollution in in Iran’s Provinces

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in Econometrics, Faculty of Economics, Management and Administrative Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Management and Administrative Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

Abstract

One of the challenging issues in environmental economics is addressing the fundamental question of whether economic growth leads to environmental pollution. The gender dimension in the labor market, which can influence environmental behaviors, has received relatively little attention in environmental modeling so far. This study aims to examine the relationship between gender unemployment and environmental pollution within the framework of the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis across the provinces of Iran.

Annual data for 31 provinces over the period 2011–2021 were collected, and panel data estimation techniques were employed to assess the impact of male and female unemployment rates on carbon dioxide emissions.

The findings indicate that economic growth leads to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions; therefore, the provinces of Iran are located on the downward segment of the Environmental Kuznets Curve. The results also show that higher male unemployment is associated with lower environmental pollution, whereas an increase in female unemployment contributes to greater environmental degradation. In addition, a rise in gender inequality in unemployment leads to an increase in environmental pollution. Based on these results, the Environmental Phillips Curve hypothesis is confirmed only for men in the provinces of Iran. Moreover, the findings suggest that improving women's employment and increasing their economic participation can contribute to better environmental conditions. These findings highlight the significance of women’s participation in the labor market from an environmental standpoint, demonstrating that women’s employment not only does not harm the environment, but may also contribute positively to the improvement of environmental quality.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Applied Theories of Economics

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 December 2025

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