The long-term impacts of Iran–Iraq war on education and employment outcomes

Abstract

This study examines the long-term impacts of exposure to the Islamic Republic of Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988) during school years on educational attainment and labor market outcomes in Iraq. The analysis employs an event study approach and utilizes the Iraq Household Socio-Economic Surveys 2006–2007. The findings reveal that the conflict negatively affected the social welfare of men exposed to the war, including their access to social security, pension plans, healthcare, paid leave, and job permanence, while having little impact on women. Additionally, the conflict reduced wages for both men and women. Men exposed to the conflict were also more likely to work without air conditioning, whereas no such evidence was found for women. The limited participation of women in the labor market, driven by insufficient government support and restrictive social norms, may explain the minimal or nonexistent effects of the war on female labor market outcomes. This study highlights the education channel through which the war influenced labor market outcomes, demonstrating that the conflict significantly reduced the educational attainment of men and women born between 1971 and 1981. The findings are robust to various robustness checks and falsification tests.