Youth unemployment and gender gaps in labor marketoutcomes are key policy challenges across developing countries. Young job-seekers may struggle to find jobs becauseof their biased beliefs and unrealistic aspirations about thelabor market. This study examines whether exposure tothe COVID-19 pandemic influenced the labor marketaspirations and expectations of female vocational studentsin Haryana, India. Exposure to the pandemic loweredyoung women’s wage aspirations and made them morerea