In a survey released this morning by Scioto Analysis, 13 of 18 economists agreed that women who receive abortion services will have improved economic outcomes, such as higher educational attainment, higher labor force participation, and higher wages. However, there is some disagreement about how large the effect might be.
Additionally, economists indicated they believed abortion protections in Ohio will spill over into neighboring states like West Virginia, Indiana, and Kentucky, all of which currently have bans on abortion.
The majority of survey respondents agreed that abortion protections in Ohio would likely lead to people crossing the border in order to access those services. Assuming people who receive abortions will have higher economic attainment, this could mean a slight boost in the economies of those neighboring states.
As Ohio prepares to vote in November on a ballot initiative that would in practice make the majority of abortions legal, these results are an important consideration. Although this is often painted strictly as a social issue, there are important economic considerations that policymakers should be aware of.
The Ohio Economic Experts Panel is a panel of over 40 Ohio Economists from over 30 Ohio higher educational institutions conducted by Scioto Analysis. The goal of the Ohio Economic Experts Panel is to promote better policy outcomes by providing policymakers, policy influencers, and the public with the informed opinions of Ohio’s leading economists. Individual responses to all surveys can be found here.