Political regimes, labor markets, and equity in Myanmar

Myanmar’s military coup d’état on February 1, 2021 started yet another government wholly controlled by the military dictatorship that has governed the country for the past 54 of 75 years after the independence from the British Empire in 1948. This thesis research deals with the effect of the past military government on Myanmar economy. The overall goal of this thesis is to examine the impacts of the military government on occupational options relating to historical events and other factors that influenced labor markets in Myanmar and, specifically, the equality among various citizens. The first section of the thesis deals with the effects of historical events (Independence in 1948 and the military junta takeover) on occupational patterns. The Myanmar’s military government between 1962 and 2014 reduced occupational options and that the government’s policy called the Burmese Way to Socialism (BWS) was the likely cause of this change in the labor pattern. The second section focuses on equality in employment opportunities between Burmese and ethnic minorities in the military and non-military eras. The econometric analyses of two censuses between 2014 and 2019 showed that the growth of industrial employment in Myanmar faltered under the military junta’s BWS. Also, the majority ethnic Burmese gained more employment than other ethnic minorities, indicating that the economic inequality widened under the military regime. The third section investigates the impact of the military government on gender inequality. The study’s results showed that gender inequality was higher during the military regime than during the non-military periods. Also, it was higher in the northwestern borders than other areas but much lower in the Yangon Division and parts of Mon State. These results contradict the socialist ideology of industrialization and equality touted by the military government. The current study also provides a detailed view of the factors that influence industrialization as well as ethnic and gender equality and may assist in planning social and economic programs that are productive and equitable in Myanmar.