Zitatform

Andersen, Kate (2026): Social Security, Gender and Class: The impacts of the Universal Credit Conditionality Regime on Unpaid Care and Paid Work. In: Social Policy and Society, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 44-59. DOI:10.1017/S1474746424000071

Abstract

"The introduction of Universal Credit, a new means-tested benefit for working-aged people in the UK, entails a significant expansion of welfare conditionality. Due to mothers’ disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care, women are particularly affected by the new conditionality regime for parents who have the primary responsibility for the care of dependent children. This article draws upon qualitative longitudinal research with twenty-four mothers subject to the new conditionality regime to analyze the gendered impacts of this new policy and whether there is variation in experiences according to social class. The analysis demonstrates that the new conditionality regime devalues unpaid care and is of limited efficacy in improving sustained moves into paid work. It also shows that the negative gendered impacts of the conditionality within Universal Credit are at times exacerbated for working-class mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Barbieri, Teresa, Michele Bavaro & Valeria Cirillo (2026): Falling behind unequally: labour market outcomes of Italian couples after childbirth*. In: Applied Economics, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2026.2624051

Abstract

"This study explores how childbirth differently shapes the career trajectories of men and women within the same couples, with a particular focus on gender disparities in experiencing downward labour transitions following the birth of their first child. Using a unique survey-administrative linked dataset, we track couples’labour market trajectories to analysetransitions from employment to unemployment, full-time to part-time employment, and higher-paid to lower-paid jobs. Additionally, the dataset allows to link partners, enabling the study of factors influencing differences in the probabilities of downward labour market transitions between partners in the same household. Our findings reveal substantial and persistent penalties for women, lasting up to three years after childbirth, which are mainly related to part-time job arrangements. When examining differences in probabilities within couples, households in which women have tertiary education with respect to their partners and are the primary earners exhibit smaller gender disparities in the likelihood of downward labour transitions with respect to other households." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Boneva, Teodora, Marta Golin, Katja Kaufmann & Christopher Rauh (2026): Beliefs About Maternal Labour Supply. In: The Economic Journal, Jg. 136, H. 674, S. 373-401. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueaf067

Abstract

"We provide representative evidence on the perceived returns to maternal labour supply. A mother’s decision to work is perceived to have sizable impacts on child skills, family outcomes, and the mother’s future labour market outcomes. Beliefs about the impact of additional household income can account for some, but not all, of the perceived positive effects. We further document labour supply intentions under different policy scenarios related to childcare availability and quality, two factors that are perceived as important. Finally, we show that perceived returns are predictive of labour supply intentions, over and above what can be explained by other factors." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bothfeld, Silke, Christian Hohendanner, Petra Schütt & Aysel Yollu-Tok (2026): Einleitung: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen einer geschlechtergerechten Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik. In: S. Bothfeld, C. Hohendanner, P. Schütt & A. Yollu-Tok (Hrsg.) (2026): Geschlechtergerecht gestalten. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik, S. 9-26.

Abstract

"Wer über Geschlechtergerechtigkeit spricht, kommt an der begrifflichen Unterscheidung zwischen Gleichberechtigung und Gleichstellungspolitik nicht vorbei. Diese Differenz ist grundlegend für das Verständnis politischer, sozialer und ökonomischer Maßnahmen zur Überwindung geschlechterbezogener Ungleichheiten. Gleichberechtigung meint die rechtlich garantierte Gleichheit von Frauen und Männern – wie sie etwa in Artikel 3 des Grundgesetzes verankert ist. Sie garantiert allen Menschen denselben Zugang zu Rechten: zum Bildungssystem, zum Arbeitsmarkt, zu politischen Ämtern. Doch so unverzichtbar diese rechtliche Grundlage ist, so unzureichend ist sie, wenn es um die tatsächliche Teilhabe in einer nach wie vor von struktureller Ungleichheit geprägten Gesellschaft geht. Hier setzt die Gleichstellungspolitik an: Sie begnügt sich nicht mit der formalen Gleichheit, sondern zielt auf faktische Chancengleichheit. Für die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter wurde daher im Artikel 3 Abs. 2 (»Männer und Frauen sind gleichberechtigt.«) 1994 der Zusatz aufgenommen »Der Staat fördert die tatsächliche Durchsetzung der Gleichberechtigung von Frauen und Männern und wirkt auf die Beseitigung bestehender Nachteile hin«. Die Gleichstellungspolitik soll in diesem Sinne bestehende Benachteiligungen – etwa beim Einkommen, bei der Verteilung von Sorgearbeit, beim Zugang zu Führungspositionen oder in den sozialen Sicherungssystemen – sichtbar machen und Instrumente entwickeln, um Ungleichheiten abzubauen. Gleichstellungspolitik bedeutet nicht Privilegierung oder Sonderbehandlung, sondern sie ist Ausdruck eines demokratischen Gestaltungsauftrags: Sie soll sicherstellen, dass Gleichberechtigung nicht nur auf dem Papier steht, sondern im gesellschaftlichen Alltag wirksam wird. Dieser Sammelband greift zentrale Fragen dieser Gestaltungsaufgabe im Rahmen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik auf und versammelt Beiträge, die sich mit geschlechterbezogenen Ungleichheiten am Arbeitsmarkt und im Sozialstaat befassen – empirisch fundiert, theoretisch reflektiert und mit einem gemeinsamen Ziel: Geschlechtergerechtigkeit nicht nur zu fordern, sondern Hinweise und Vorschläge für die Gestaltung von konkreten Strukturen und politischen Maßnahmen zu präsentieren." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Bothfeld, Silke, Christian Hohendanner, Petra Schütt & Aysel Yollu-Tok (Hrsg.) (2026): Geschlechtergerecht gestalten. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik. Frankfurt: Campus Verlag, 471 S. DOI:10.12907/978-3-593-45932-5

Abstract

"Trotz zahlreicher Bemühungen und Erfolge in der Gleichstellungspolitik seit Ende der 1990er Jahre bestehen in der Praxis nach wie vor erhebliche geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Frauen haben nach wie vor geringere Erfolgsaussichten beim Zugang und beim Verbleib in Beschäftigung, ihre Bezahlung und ihre Aufstiegsmöglichkeiten sind schlechter. Die Beiträge dieses Bandes bieten einen umfassenden Überblick über die aktuelle geschlechtsbezogene Arbeits(marktpolitik-)forschung. Mit einem multiperspektivischen Blick auf den vergeschlechtlichten Arbeitsmarkt gelingt es dem Band, historische Aspekte, Gegenwartsanalysen sowie gesellschaftliche Transformationsprozesse und Lösungsansätze zu verbinden." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)

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Burns, Natasha, Kristina Minnick, Jeffry Netter & Laura Starks (2026): Gender Pay Gap and Cultural Values. In: Journal of financial and quantitative analysis, Jg. 61, H. 1, S. 511-546. DOI:10.1017/s0022109025000183

Abstract

"Employing a cross-country sample, we examine how a population’s underlying cultural values help explain gender compensation variation across corporate executives. The results show that the cultural differences embedded in societies long before the board’s compensation decisions have significant explanatory power for the observed gender gap in executive compensation. Using an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition combined with variables previously shown to be fundamental determinants of executive compensation, we find that adding cultural measures increases the model’s explanatory power of the gender compensation gap from 44% to 95%. We use further identification strategies to support causal inference." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bächmann, Ann-Christin, Michaela Fuchs, Volker Kotte & Brigitte Schels (2026): Berufliche Geschlechtersegregation in Deutschland: Entwicklungen, Erklärungen, regionale und qualifikatorische Unterschiede. In: S. Bothfeld, C. Hohendanner, P. Schütt & A. Yollu-Tok (Hrsg.) (2026): Geschlechtergerecht gestalten. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik, S. 175-190, 2025-02-10.

Abstract

"Die berufliche Geschlechtersegregation erweist sich als zentrales und persistentes Charakteristikum des deutschen Arbeitsmarktes. Geschlecht fungiert als soziale Ordnungsstruktur im Prozess der Berufswahl und des Matching von Personen zu Stellen (Buchmann/Kriesi 2012). Wirtschaftliche und gesamtgesellschaftliche Entwicklungen der letzten Jahrzehnte konnten zwar zu einer leichten Reduzierung der Segregation beitragen, die berufliche Trennung von Männern und Frauen aber bei weitem nicht auflösen. Sie variiert zudem stark zwischen Regionen und Qualifikationsniveaus. Der Überwindung der beruflichen Geschlechtersegregation wird eine Schlüsselrolle für die Bewältigung der Herausforderungen im Wandel der Arbeitswelt zugeschrieben (Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften/Union der deutschen Akademien der Wissenschaften 2024). Gerade vor dem Hintergrund steigender Fachkräftebedarfe müssen politische Handlungsmöglichkeiten zur Reduzierung beruflicher Geschlechtersegregation stärker ausgeschöpft werden. Gesellschaftlich wäre dieses Ziel zudem erstrebenswert, um jungen Menschen eine »freie Berufswahl« nach Talenten und Interessen zu ermöglichen, die nicht von Geschlechterstereotypen beschränkt wird. Politische Stellschrauben zu identifizieren, gestaltet sich vor dem komplexen Zusammenspiel unterschiedlicher Faktoren, wie Geschlechterstereotypen, Rollenvorstellungen, Interessen und Präferenzen, die in Angebot und Nachfrage hineinwirken, als herausfordernd. Bisherige Initiativen wie etwa der girls’ day oder boys’ day zeigen wenig Wirkung, was mitunter auch daran liegen mag, dass sie relativ spät in der Jugend ansetzen, wenn Vorstellungen zur Geschlechtstypik von Berufen schon geprägt wurden (siehe auch Jeanrenaud in diesem Band). Empirisch zeigt sich, dass bspw. Rollenvorbilder einen Beitrag leisten können, um Segregationsmuster zu durchbrechen (Beckmann u.a. 2023). Zudem könnte mehr Durchlässigkeit im Bildungssystem, etwa zwischen beruflicher und hochschulischer Bildung, Möglichkeiten eröffnen, frühe geschlechtstypische Entscheidungen zu revidieren (Imdorf u.a. 2016). Auch die Adaption der Arbeitsbedingungen und -organisation in segregierten Berufsfeldern kann ein Ansatzpunkt sein, bspw. könnte eine bessere Bezahlung in Pflegeberufen diesen Bereich auch für junge Männer attraktiver machen. Mit Blick in die Zukunft ist abzuwarten, wie sich die zentralen Arbeitsmarktentwicklungen der kommenden Jahre auf die berufliche Trennung von Männern und Frauen auswirken. Neben dem Fachkräftemangel könnten gerade die zunehmende Digitalisierung von Arbeitsprozessen und Tätigkeiten sowie die Entwicklung neuer Berufe in der sogenannten »neuen Arbeitswelt« zusätzliche Dynamik in die berufliche Trennung der Geschlechter bringen. Erste Erkenntnisse verweisen jedoch darauf, dass diese Entwicklungen bekannte Geschlechterunterschiede eher reproduzieren als verringern (z.B. Genz/Schnabel 2023; Petroff/Fierro 2023). Zentral wird es sein, auch in Zukunft die Entwicklung der beruflichen Geschlechtersegregation und ihre Ursachen und Auswirkungen empirisch zu untersuchen und die Ergebnisse im gesamtgesellschaftlichen Diskurs zu berücksichtigen." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Cairo, Sofie, Ria Ivandić, Anne Sophie Lassen & Valentina Tartari (2026): Parenthood and the Career Ladder: Evidence from Academia. (Discussion paper / Berlin School of Economics 0092), Berlin, 35 S., App. DOI:10.48462/opus4-6164

Abstract

"Persistent gender gaps in the labor market are largely driven by the underrepresentation of women at the top of most professions. We study how parenthood shapes gender gaps in academic careers using population-wide administrative and survey data linked to productivity and promotion records. Parenthood marks a sharp divergence in academic careers: one in three women exit academia following motherhood. Men also experience a decline in academic employment after fatherhood, but the effects are substantially smaller. For mothers, childbirth leads to a persistent decline in both tenure attainment and research output, while men's trajectories on these margins are unaffected by parenthood. The child penalty on tenure is driven primarily by women's higher exit rates from academia. Gender differences in career aspirations do not explain these findings; instead, childcare and mobility constraints play a central role. Child penalties are exacerbated in highly competitive environments and environments without senior female role models." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chalermsook, Porjai, Pekka Ilmakunnas & Rudiger von Arnim (2026): Exports, Gender Inequality, and Family Commitment. In: Labour, Jg. 40, H. 1, S. 74-100. DOI:10.1111/labr.70007

Abstract

"This paper examines how exporting firms, gender, and family commitments interact to shape wage disparities. Using Finnish matched employer–employee data, we estimate wage equations that control for firm, worker, and match-specific unobservables. While exporting firms do not exhibit a wider gender wage gap overall, women with young children face additional short-run wage penalties, as shown by an event-study analysis that reveals a temporary but pronounced gap in the early post-childbirth years. These penalties are concentrated in occupations with greater temporal rigidity and limited scheduling flexibility, highlighting workplace flexibility constraints as a key mechanism. The findings suggest that the interaction between export-related temporal demands and caregiving responsibilities contributes to gendered wage dynamics. These results also raise questions about the continuing relevance of gender norms that disadvantage female employees, even in a context with strong public support for parental leave and childcare in Finland." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Coskun, Sena, Husnu Dalgic & Yasemin Özdemir (2026): Navigating Motherhood: Endogenous Penalties and Career Choice. (IAB-Discussion Paper 02/2026), Nürnberg, 57 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2602

Abstract

"Wir dokumentieren, dass Frauen sich vor der Geburt ihres ersten Kindes strategisch in „familienfreundliche” Sektoren sortieren, die durch geringere Erfahrungswerte, aber niedrigere Einbußen pro Kind gekennzeichnet sind. Dieses antizipatorische Sortieren stellt ex-ante Kosten der Mutterschaft dar, die von herkömmlichen Maßen für die Child Penalty gänzlich übersehen werden. Wir entwickeln ein Modell heterogener Akteure für Berufswahl und Fertilität, um diese „Sorting Penalty” zu quantifizieren. Unser zentrales Ergebnis ist, dass der direkte Einkommensverlust durch berufliches Sortieren zwar gering ist, dieses Resultat jedoch die hohe Wirksamkeit der primären Instrumente offenbart, mit denen Frauen Mutterschaft bewältigen: die Qualität-Quantität (Q-Q) und Zeitverwendung (T-E) Trade-offs. Durch empirische Evidenz für beide Spielräume zeigen wir, dass Frauen keine passiven Subjekte von Child Penalties sind; sie sind aktive, strategische Akteurinnen, die diese feineren Abwägungen nutzen, um familiäre Ziele zu erreichen und gleichzeitig berufliche Kosten zu mildern. Unsere Ergebnisse unterstreichen: Da Fertilität und Benachteiligungen zutiefst endogen sind, werden politische Rahmenbedingungen, die diese Trade-offs ausschließen, die Fertilitätsreaktionen und Karrierekosten von Interventionen grundlegend falsch berechnen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Costa-Ramón, Ana, Michaela Slotwinski, Ursina Schaede & Anne Ardila Brenøe (2026): (Not) Thinking About the Future: Financial Information and Maternal Labor Supply. In: The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Jg. 141, H. 2, S. 1335-1382. DOI:10.1093/qje/qjag003

Abstract

"Does information about the long-run financial costs of reduced labor supply increase mothers ’ working hours? We document descriptively that long-term financial factors are not top of mind when mothers decide on their employment level. Moreover, a substantial share of women holds overly optimistic expectations about pension receipt and wage growth under part-time work. In a large-scale field experiment in Switzerland, we randomly assign mothers working part-time as teachers to receive objective information about the long-run costs of reduced labor supply. The treatment increases both demand for financial information and future labor supply plans, in particular among women who underestimate the costs of part-time work. Leveraging linked employer administrative data one year post-intervention, we find that this group of mothers increases working hours by 7 percent. These findings underscore that policies reducing information frictions in labor supply decisions may help address remaining gender gaps in the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cui, Sizhan, Zhuofei Lu & Senhu Wang (2026): Gender and Parenthood Differences in Work Time Fragmentation in the United States: The Moderating Role of Occupational Class. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 182, H. 1. DOI:10.1007/s11205-026-03815-x

Abstract

"Work time fragmentation refers to the number of distinct work episodes in a day, indicating disruptions in work schedules and the degree of workday fragmentation. With the expansion of flexible labor markets in the U.S., work time fragmentation has become more prevalent. Although gender and parenthood differences in labor market outcomes and family responsibilities are well studied, their manifestation in work time fragmentation remains underexplored. Using data from the American Time Use Survey 2003–2023 and OLS regression models, this study is the first to examine gender and parenthood differences in work time fragmentation and their variation by occupational class. Findings indicate that women experience greater fragmentation than men. For women, those with dependent children, particularly those with young children, show greater fragmentation than women without coresidential children. This pattern is most pronounced among those in higher occupational classes. For men, there is no evidence showing that there is a difference in work time fragmentation intensity by parenthood status or occupational class. The findings underscore the importance of equitable parental leave, shared caregiving responsibilities, and supportive workplace structures in addressing these dynamics and promoting equity in work-family relationships." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Deming, Sarah M. (2026): Antecedents of Motherhood Penalties: The Work-Care Preferences of Socioeconomically Diverse Expectant Mothers. In: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Jg. 47, H. 1, S. 74-94. DOI:10.1007/s10834-025-10071-7

Abstract

"This study contributes to the work-family literature in three ways. First, it challenges the emphasis on the economic impacts of motherhood by introducing a framework—Work-Care Preferences (WCP)—that acknowledges how women’s personal orientations to paid work and to motherhood converge to create varied preferences for how (or whether) to best combine the two. Second, documenting how women’s WCPs are influenced by socioeconomic status illuminates a previously unidentified mechanism by which motherhood penalties are unequally experienced. Lastly, by highlighting how expectant mothers’ personal conceptions of paid work influence their subsequent WCPs, it offers opportunities to design workplace and policy-level interventions to support maternal employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Emery, Tom (2026): Inequalities in early childcare strategies: Evidence from Dutch administrative data. In: Advances in life course research, Jg. 67. DOI:10.1016/j.alcr.2026.100727

Abstract

"This study examines whether the well-documented socioeconomic gradient in formal childcare use is reflected in the timing, sequencing, and stability of childcare and employment strategies following the critical life course transition to parenthood. While higher-SES parents are consistently more likely to use formal childcare, the reasons for this disparity remain poorly understood principally due to data limitations and the complexity of household dynamics. Drawing on linked Dutch administrative data (2010–2019), we use multichannel sequence analysis to identify distinct “childcare strategies” across the first four years of children’s lives, capturing monthly trajectories of formal childcare use and parental employment. A subsequent multinomial regression models the association between these strategies and socioeconomic status. The results reveal wide variation in the stability, intensity, and timing of formal childcare use, closely intertwined with maternal employment patterns. Children from lower-SES households are more likely to experience complex, fragmented, and fragile childcare trajectories—characterized by delayed entry, irregular usage, and lower alignment with stable employment—confirming and extending findings from prior qualitative research. By quantifying these patterns across a full population cohort, the study demonstrates how childcare complexity itself reflects and reinforces broader social inequalities. We conclude that childcare policies must move beyond affordability to address accessibility, stability, and administrative complexity—particularly for parents with low incomes, precarious jobs, or self-employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

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Filser, Andreas, Pascal Achard, Corinna Frodermann, Dana Müller & Sander Wagner (2026): Stratification of post-birth labour supply in a high- and low- maternal employment regime. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 102, 2026-01-30. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2026.101133

Abstract

"This paper compares the magnitude and stratification of motherhood employment penalties in France and Germany, two countries with contrasting institutional orientations towards maternal employment. While prior research has documented cross-national variation in the size of motherhood penalties, less is known about how macro-level contexts shape their stratification across socioeconomic groups. Using harmonized administrative employment data on 18,948 French and 72,632 German mothers, who were employed prior to first birth between 1997 and 2014, we estimate labour market participation trajectories for five years following childbirth. Across both countries, women with higher pre-birth income, higher education, and employment in higher-wage firms experience substantially smaller reductions in labour supply, with income emerging as the strongest stratifying dimension. Motherhood penalties are markedly smaller in France, amounting to less than one-third of the reduction observed in Germany. Yet penalties in France are more strongly stratified: mothers in the lowest income quintile experience participation losses 3.14 times larger than mothers in the highest quintile, compared to a ratio of 1.17 in Germany. Within Germany, East German mothers face smaller but more stratified penalties than West German mothers. Finally, we test whether the macro-level pattern of larger penalties associated with weaker stratification also generalizes to 65 NUTS-2 regions. We find no systematic association between the size and stratification of motherhood penalties at the regional level. The findings suggest that institutional contexts supporting high maternal employment reduce overall penalties but pose particular challenges for mothers from lower socio-economic backgrounds who reintegrate less rapidly into the labour market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

Zitatform

Firl, Katrin & Anna Hebel (2026): Does Gender Ideology Matter? Pre-pandemic Gender Role Attitudes and the Division of Housework and Childcare During COVID-19 in Germany. In: Comparative Population Studies, Jg. 51, S. 23-48. DOI:10.12765/cpos-2026-02

Abstract

"Women and mothers perform the lion ’s share of unpaid family labor (i.e., housework and childcare) in Germany, negatively affecting their finances, time resources, opportunities in life, and mental health. The constraints brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the pandemic-related changes in working hours, are thought to have reorganized the division of unpaid family labor. However, changes in time availability alone cannot explain couples’ heterogeneous pandemic responses. While framing the pandemic as a natural experiment, we first examine how individuals’ pre-pandemic gender role attitudes (GRAs) shape the division of family labor during the pandemic. Second, we examine how individuals’ pre-pandemic GRAs moderate the effect of changing working hours during the pandemic on the division of family labor. We use Waves 11 and 13 of the German Family Panel “pairfam” to analyze two samples and questions. We examine (1) respondents in heterosexual, cohabitating relationships with and without children to study the division of housework and (2) respondents in heterosexual, cohabitating relationships living with at least one child to study the division of childcare. We find that individuals holding traditional pre-pandemic GRAs are, to some degree, more likely to have had a higher female share of family labor during the pandemic: for both housework and childcare, this association can be found for the samples as a whole, as well as for the sample with only men, but not for only women. However, the association is small and - for housework - only marginally significant. Most notably, we find evidence for a three-way-interaction between gender, GRAs, and changes in time availability for childcare: egalitarian men who reduced working hours took on a significantly greater share of childcare than traditional men did, consistent with the idea of "gender deviance neutralization". Traditionally-oriented men might take on less female-connotated unpaid labor, as their reduced engagement in the labor market does not match their masculinity ideals. We found no moderation effect of GRAs on the influence of increasing working hours during the pandemic on the division of family labor, neither for women nor men. Our analysis provides new insights into gendered interactional processes regarding time availability and its association with the gendered division of housework and childcare in a quasi-experimental setting that reduces endogeneity. While association sizes are small, our findings support the notion of a complex interplay between gender, GRAs, and time availability in the gendered division of labor." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Frodermann, Corinna, Eileen Peters, Marie-Fleur Philipp & Claudia Wenzig (2026): Arbeits- und Betreuungsarrangements von Familien mit kleinen Kindern: Gesellschaftliche Einstellung zu Erwerbstätigkeit von Müttern und externer Kinderbetreuung. (IAB-Kurzbericht 02/2026), Nürnberg, 8 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.KB.2602

Abstract

"Die Förderung der Erwerbsintegration von Frauen und speziell von Müttern ist ein zentrales Thema der Arbeitsmarkt- und Gleichstellungspolitik. Entscheidend für eine Erwerbsaufnahme von Müttern sind dabei nicht nur die Bedingungen am Arbeitsmarkt und die vorhandenen Möglichkeiten der externen Kinderbetreuung, sondern auch die Einstellung zu Familie und Beruf. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersuchen die Autorinnen Normvorstellungen in der Bevölkerung zur außerhäuslichen Betreuung von Kindern und zur Erwerbstätigkeit von Müttern." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Gibbs, Chloe, Esra Kose & Maria Rosales-Rueda (2026): More Hours, More Work: Head Start Expansions Boost Maternal Employment. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 34831), Cambridge, Mass, 35 S.

Abstract

"Women's employment remains highly sensitive to childcare constraints, making childcare availability a critical lever for supporting mothers' labor force attachment. We study the effects of expanded full-day programming in Head Start, using the 2016 federal funding initiative that targeted grantees with low full-day enrollment. Linking administrative program data, geo-coded center locations, and household data on employment, we estimate a difference-in-differences design by comparing mothers of young children in treated and untreated areas. The policy increased full-day enrollment by 19 percent and raised single mothers' employment (1.9%), hours (2.5%), and earnings (6.5%). Results show that extending program duration meaningfully improves maternal labor market outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Maralani, Vida, Camille Portier & Berkay Özcan (2026): Early Childhood Investments and Women’s Work Outcomes across the Life Course. In: Sociological Science, Jg. 13, S. 214-241. DOI:10.15195/v13.a9

Zitatform

Musick, Kelly & Wonjeong Jeong (2026): State-level gender inequality and couples’ relative earnings following parenthood over four decades. In: Social science research, Jg. 135. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2025.103302

Abstract

"We draw from gender perspectives on the division of labor and emerging research on structural sexism to empirically evaluate how systemic gender inequality shapes within-couple earnings inequality at the turning point of parenthood. Our data on pre- and post-birth earnings come from successive couple-level panels of the Current Population Survey over four decades (1982–2020, N = 87,694 couples and 175,388 couple-observations), merged to state-level indicators of gender inequality spanning the same time period that tap the devaluation of work done by women across multiple domains. Results from fixed effect models suggest that state-level gender inequality shapes couples' responses to parenthood in meaningful ways, with steeper declines in wives' relative earnings among new parents living in states that place lower value on women's work. The estimated effect of sexism is gendered, operating through wives' earnings. It persists through the early childbearing years and across decades, and it varies little by measures of couples' social advantage. Evidence that structural sexism exacerbates earnings inequality among parents is robust, with implications for mothers' economic vulnerability and well-being." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Müller, Dana, Andreas Filser, Corinna Frodermann & Arnim Seidlitz (2026): Update: Identifying mothers in administrative data. (FDZ-Methodenreport 01/2026 (en)), Nürnberg, 13 S. DOI:10.5164/IAB.FDZM.2601.en.v1

Abstract

"Die administrativen Daten der Bundesagentur für Arbeit bieten eine wichtige Datenbasis für die Arbeitsmarktforschung. Welche Informationen gesammelt werden, ist über die Aufgaben der Bundesagentur für Arbeit definiert. Daher sind nicht alle Informationen in den Daten enthalten, die für verschiedene Forschungsfragen relevant sind. Das betrifft zum Beispiel Informationen zu der Geburt von Kindern, die wichtig für die Analyse der Erwerbsbiografien von Frauen sein können. Nach wie vor unterbrechen insbesondere Mütter ihre Erwerbstätigkeit, um sich der Kinderbetreuung zu widmen. Diese Erwerbsunterbrechungen können unterschiedliche Effekte auf die Erwerbsbiografien von Müttern haben, wie z.B. Lohneinbußen, Karrierenachteile oder vermehrte Teilzeitbeschäftigung. Die FDZ-Methodenreports 13/2017 und 02/2022 (Müller/Strauch 2017; Müller et al. 2022) zeigten eine Möglichkeit, familienbedingte Erwerbsunterbrechungen mit Hilfe indirekter Identifikatoren in den administrativen Daten zu ermitteln. Mit dem vorliegenden FDZ-Methodenreport wurde diese Identifikationsstrategie aktualisiert und an neue Datensatzversionen angepasst. Wir validieren unsere Identifikationsstrategie mit Hilfe offizieller Geburtsstatistiken. Der Programmcode wird als Anhang zur Verfügung gestellt und kann nach Bedarf angepasst werden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Plavgo, Ilze (2026): How Public Investments in Childcare Mitigate Childbirth Effects on Employment Transitions by Skill Level in Europe. Special Issue: Bringing the Ecological and the Social Together in the Green Transition: A Multilevel Analysis. In: Regulation and governance, Jg. 20, H. 2, S. 635-651. DOI:10.1111/rego.70116

Abstract

"Public investments in childcare generally improve parents' employment chances, yet evidence on their magnitude, cross-national variation, and social distribution remains mixed. This study examines how public spending on early childhood education and care (ECEC) moderates post-childbirth employment attachment across Europe. Using longitudinal EU-SILC microdata for 26 countries (2003–2020) combined with social policy indicators, multilevel mixed-effects models trace within-person employment changes before and 2 years after childbirth by gender, skill level, and country context. Results show that childbirth substantially reduces women's employment probabilities, but higher public ECEC investment mitigates this decline by supporting re-entry into employment. At above-average spending levels, employment returns to pre-childbirth levels within 2 years, whereas recovery remains limited where ECEC investments are lower. The pattern holds across skill groups and welfare regimes, except in the Nordic countries, where low-skilled mothers benefit more. Findings underscore the role of ECEC investment in sustaining labor force participation in Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Resendez, Sarahi, Jianghong Li & Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2026): Nonstandard work schedules and work-life balance in dual-earner households: The role of parenthood. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 38, S. 1-22. DOI:10.20377/jfr-1259

Abstract

"Objective: This study examines whether nonstandard work schedules (NSWS) improve or hinder work-life balance (WLB) for parents and non-parents in dual-earner households. Background: Previous research shows that NSWS can negatively affect workers' well-being. However, less is known about whether and to what extent these effects differ between parents and childless individuals. Method: Using data from the first wave of the German Family Demography Panel Study (FReDA), linear regression models are applied to assess whether the effect of NSWS on WLB is influenced by family circumstances. Results: Parenthood is generally associated with lower WLB. However, the negative association between NSWS and WLB is more pronounced among childless workers. Notably, mothers of young children (ages 0-5), as well as fathers of school-aged children (ages 6-12) working NSWS report higher WLB than their childless counterparts. Conclusion: Parents with NSWS in dual-earner households do not necessarily experience lower WLB than childless workers. In some cases, NSWS may even help parents better reconcile work and family responsibilities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Salin, Milla, Mia Tammelin, Katri Otonkorpi-Lehtoranta & Henna Isoniemi (2026): “A good mother can't—But a good father should?” Cross‐ and within‐country differences in attitudes toward parents' full‐time work in 26 European countries. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 35, H. 1. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.70057

Abstract

"Regardless of the rise of egalitarian parenting, maternal and paternal roles are subject to different expectations, shaped by cultural and institutional factors. We examine levels of (dis)approval of parents' full-time work in 26 European countries and ask: Do attitudes toward mothers' and fathers' full-time work vary across countries? What are the sociodemographic, cultural, and family policy-related institutional factors that explain these attitudes? To what extent can the gender arrangement framework help to understand differences in attitudes toward full-time working parents? Data from the 2018 European Social Survey was analyzed using cross-tabulation and multilevel analysis. Results reveal that the ideal of motherhood continues to be culturally more contested than that of fatherhood. Individual-level sociodemographic factors are more relevant to attitudes toward mothers' than to fathers' full-time work, while country-level factors connected to gender, work culture, and family policy are similar in their effects on attitudes toward mothers' and fathers' full-time work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sander, Sarah (2026): Universal Daycare and Mothers’ Working Lifetime. In: The Economic Journal. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueag031

Abstract

"This paper examines the effects of universal daycare on mothers’ labour force participation, hours worked, full-time employment, and earnings over their working lives. I exploit variation in access created by the roll-out of daycare centres across Denmark, combined with rich administrative data. Daycare availability positively affects participation (2.3%), hours worked (3.1%), and earnings (3.7%) 16 years after the first child. Secondary fertility choices and parental separation appear to mediate these effects. The effects on labour market outcomes are driven by low-educated mothers, suggesting that lack of subsidised childcare is a larger employment barrier for low-educated mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Shattuck, Rachel M. (2026): Cross-cohort employment differences among U.S. mothers of young children: The role of nonparental childcare. In: Social science research, Jg. 133. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2025.103261

Abstract

"Following increased mothers' employment since the later 20th century, the majority of U.S. mothers now experience employment with children under age three. Most use nonparental childcare (NPC) while employed. NPC can include care provided in childcare centers and preschools, as well as by nannies, babysitters and relatives, and in family childcare homes. Changes since the 1980s to care costs and availability, labor market conditions, family structures, and public assistance policies may result in differences in the predictive relationship between NPC use and employment among late-20th vs. early-21st century mothers. I use National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979) (“Baby-Boomers”) and 1997 (“Millennials”) data to compare monthly likelihood of full-time employment, part-time employment, and employment exit—and how NPC use differently affects these—among mothers of children under three. A hybrid model including within-person and between-person components compares women to themselves at different points in time when they are employed either with or without NPC. NPC use increases full-time employment, and employment stability, for mothers in both cohorts. However, Millennials use NPC more than Baby-Boomers. Furthermore, NPC increases the likelihood of maintaining full-time employment, and transitioning from part-time to full-time employment, by larger magnitudes for Millennials than for Baby-Boomers. Supplementary descriptive analyses show changed care types, increased care costs, and increased nonstandard employment, all of which may contribute to this cross-cohort difference. Results demonstrate how NPC plays a key role in supporting employment within individual women's life courses, and how these effects may differ across different social and historical settings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Silliman, Mikko & Juuso Mäkinen (2026): Life-Cycle Effects of Public Childcare: Evidence on Children and Their Parents. (CESifo working paper 12372), München, 102 S.

Abstract

"This paper provides large-scale evidence linking the economic effects of childcare programs to social skills measured in adulthood. We examine Finland's first national public childcare program, and document that it increased parental labor supply - through retirement - while reducing the intergenerational persistence of income. Critically, we leverage Finnish Defence Forces data on the near population of males to show that effects on children's adult income are underlied by lasting effects on social skills. Further, we show that life-cycle cost-effectiveness estimates based on the assumption of constant effects after typical observation windows can considerably overestimate the net costs of public childcare." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Tabor, Jaclyn A., Cassie Mead, Jamie Oslawski-Lopez & Rebecca K. Grady (2026): Division of Labor Over the Life Course: Structural or Symbolic Pressures? In: Journal of Marriage and Family, Jg. 88, H. 2, S. 425-441. DOI:10.1111/jomf.70023

Abstract

"Objective: Do structural or symbolic pressures, as measured by work-family transitions, play a greater role in determining the gendered division of household labor? Background: Scholars explain gendered divisions of household labor using structural (i.e., resource allocation; time availability) and symbolic explanations (i.e., gender as a social institution; doing gender). We concurrently tested these theories through the lens of major work–family transitions, which have been shown to impact household labor in previous research. Method: We used two nationally representative, longitudinal datasets: The Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) to understand how work-family transitions impact male and female partners' household labor hours, as well as the proportion of housework performed by female partners. To do this, we used fixed effects models (PSID), lagged dependent variable models, and first difference change score models (NSFH). Results: We found that parenthood and work transitions, transitions that exert structural pressure, were associated with female partners' proportion of housework. On the other hand, the transition from cohabitation to marriage and relationship tenure, measures that are more symbolic in nature, did not significantly impact male or female partners' household labor. Conclusion: Overall, the structural pressures underlying work-family transitions appear to play a larger role in determining the division of household labor as compared to symbolic pressures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Virtanen, Marianna, Katalin Gémes, Kristin Farrants, Jakob Bergström, Niklas Gustafsson, Laura Peutere, Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz & Kristina Alexanderson (2026): Labour market patterns among women and men following the uptake of their first parental leave benefit in Sweden. In: Scientific Reports, Jg. 16, H. 1. DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-35960-1

Abstract

"This study identified long-term labour market patterns after taking the first parental leave benefit among women and men in Sweden and the socio-demographic, economic, and health-related characteristics among the identified patterns. We conducted a prospective cohort study, based on nationwide register microdata, including all women (N = 43,959) and men (N = 43,514) who had their first parental leave benefit uptake in 2010. Sequence analysis was used to explore their labour market patterns over 9 years after parental leave. We identified six labour market clusters for women: ‘ Quick return to employment/studies’ (32%), ‘ Ongoing employment/studies ’ (24%), ‘ Slow return to employment/studies’ (21%), ‘ Weak labour market attachment’ (11%), ‘ Increasing sickness absence/disability pension’ (9%) and ‘ Death/emigration/retirement’ (2%). Among men, there were five clusters: ‘ Ongoing employment/studies ’ (74%), ‘ Weak labour market attachment ’ (13%), ‘ Parental leave ’ (7%), ‘ Increasing sickness absence/disability pension ’ (4%), and ‘ Death/emigration/retirement ’ (2%). Although most were economically active at the end of follow-up, among both women and men, marginalized labour market patterns were characterized by socioeconomic disadvantage and prior morbidity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Wang, Hanna (2026): Fertility and Family Leave Policies in Germany: Optimal Policy Design in a Dynamic Framework. (RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2026,29), Berlin, 71 S.

Abstract

"I develop and estimate a life-cycle discrete-choice model of fertility and female labor supply to study the optimal design of a range of child-related policies. First, I examine two German reforms that introduced wage-contingent parental leave payments and expanded access to low-cost public childcare. I find that both reforms raised completed fertility, with the parental leave reform having a particularly strong impact on highly educated women. Second, I solve for a budget-neutral optimal policy portfolio that maximizes either aggregate welfare or fertility, while ensuring that welfare and fertility do not decline for any education group. I consider four prominent child subsidies as well as the degree of tax jointness. My results show that optimal policy has the potential to increase welfare by 0.5% or fertility by 5.7%. While the solutions are qualitatively similar, they prioritize different policy instruments depending on the specific objective being targeted." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Wanger, Susanne (2026): Das Arbeitskräftepotenzial von Frauen - ein Weg aus dem Fachkräftemangel? In: S. Bothfeld, C. Hohendanner, P. Schütt & A. Yollu-Tok (Hrsg.) (2026): Geschlechtergerecht gestalten. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik, S. 75-90, 2025-02-11.

Abstract

"Trotz zunehmender Erwerbstätigkeit bleibt die Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen hinter deren Präferenzen zurück. Das unausgeschöpfte Erwerbspotenzial von teilzeitbeschäftigten Frauen, die ihre Arbeitszeit ausdehnen möchten, entspricht derzeit knapp 700.000 Vollzeitäquivalenten. Die Realisierung der Arbeitszeitwünsche und die Ausschöpfung des ungenutztem Arbeitsvolumens bei Frauen verlangt jedoch die Schaffung von günstigen Rahmenbedingungen, wie etwa bedarfsgerechte Kinderbetreuung und stärkere finanzielle Anreize für eine gleichmäßigere Aufteilung der Erwerbs- und Sorgearbeit." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Zhao, Qiongda & Zhuo Zhang (2026): Unveiling hidden impacts: heterogeneous effects of extended parental leave on mothers’ labour outcomes*. In: Applied Economics, S. 1-16. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2026.2624050

Abstract

"This paper examines the impact of extended parental leave benefits in Canada on mothers’ earnings following childbirth. Weexploit a sharp policy cut-off and implement a regression discontinuity design combined with a difference-in-differences approach (RD-DD), comparing mothers who gave birth shortly before and after the reform. We find that the extension of cash benefits leads to a reduction in mothers’earnings in the short run, reflecting delayed returns to work. In contrast, medium- and long-run effects on average earnings are small and statistically insignificant. These null mean effects, however, conceal substantial heterogeneity. Quantile regression estimates show that extending cash benefits without extending job protection generates sizable earnings losses among high-earning mothers, whereas extending job protection substantially mitigates these losses and yields positive effects for middle-earning mothers. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of job protection in parental leave design, suggesting that it helps high-earning mothers maintain career continuity while providing greater stability for middle earners." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zhu, Ning, Aleksandra Gaweł & Timo Toikko (2026): Motherhood and Systemic Gender Pay Gap Faced by Women in European Union Countries. In: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Jg. 47, H. 1, S. 160-178. DOI:10.1007/s10834-025-10072-6

Abstract

"Despite progress in reducing gender pay disparities, wage inequalities remain persistent across European Union (EU) countries, and due to motherhood penalties, the situation for mothers is even more disadvantageous compared to childless women. As women are often perceived through the lens of stereotypical maternal roles—even if they are not yet mothers—these expectations frequently intersect with personal choices as well as the embodied and material realities of caregiving. In this study, we examine the impact of motherhood and its interactions with other factors on the gender pay gap from a macro-level systemic perspective, using panel data from 27 EU countries between 2006 and 2022. Key findings indicate that motherhood-related factors such as fertility rates and the timing of childbirth have complex relationships with the pay gap, often interacting through education and flexible work arrangements. While delayed childbirth reduces gender pay gaps by mitigating career interruptions, structural and cultural supports are critical factors in alleviating wage penalties. We also confirm the significant influence of women’s educational attainment, employment rate, and flexibility in employment on wage disparities. The study underscores the importance of integrating family-friendly policies, promoting flexible yet equitable work conditions, and addressing biases surrounding motherhood to achieve gender pay equality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Albrecht, James, Per-Anders Edin, Raquel Fernandez, Jiwon Lee, Peter Thoursie & Susan Vroman (2025): Parental Leave: Economic Incentives and Cultural Change. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20541), London, 57 S.

Abstract

"The distribution of parental leave uptake and childcare activities continues to conform to traditional gender roles. In 2002, with the goal of increasing gender equality, Sweden added a second “daddy month,” i.e., an additional month of pay-related parental leave reserved exclusively for each parent. This policy increased men’s parental leave uptake and decreased women’s, thereby increasing men’s share. To understand how various factors contributed to these outcomes, we develop and estimate a quantitative model of the household in which preferences towards parental leave respond to peer behavior. We distinguish households by the education of the parents and ask the model to match key features of the parental leave distribution before and after the reform by gender and household type (the parents’ education). We find that changed incentives and, especially, changed social norms played an important role in generating these outcomes whereas changed wage parameters, including the future wage penalty associated with different lengths of parental leave uptake, were minor contributors. We then use our model to evaluate three counterfactual policies designed to increase men’s share of parental leave and conclude that giving each parent a non-transferable endowment of parental leave or only paying for the length of time equally taken by each parent would both dramatically increase men’s share whereas decreasing childcare costs has almost no effect." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bae, Hannah, Katherine Meckel & Maggie Shi (2025): Dependent insurance coverage and parental job lock: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act. In: Journal of Public Economics, Jg. 248. DOI:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2025.105439

Abstract

"Coverage for dependents is a standard feature of employer-sponsored insurance. While prior work shows that employees trade off job mobility for their own coverage, less is known about the intra-family spillovers of dependent coverage on parental labor supply. We study this question using a large panel of employer-based insurance claims that links dependent enrollment to a proxy for parental job retention. We use a regression discontinuity design that exploits a sharp change in the duration of dependent eligibility by birth month under the Affordable Care Act. We find that additional dependent insurance eligibility increases both dependent take-up and parental job retention. This “job lock” effect is strongest among parents more likely to be on the margin of a job exit, for families that place higher value on dependent coverage, and employees of firms offering a broader range of insurance options." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author(s).Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Baertsch, Laurenz & Malte Sandner (2025): Reducing the child penalty by incentivizing maternal part-time work? In: Labour Economics, Jg. 95, 2025-07-08. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102759

Abstract

"Governments worldwide are discussing ways to increase maternal labor market participation and to reduce the child penalty. This study analyzes the long run effects of a paid parental leave reform in Germany, a country characterized by high rates of maternal part-time employment after childbirth. The reform introduced additional financial incentives for mothers to engage in part-time work during the first two years following childbirth. Using German social security records, we exploit the fact that only mothers whose child is born in or after July 2015 are eligible for the new part-time parental leave option in a Difference-in-Differences strategy. We find that the policy increased the probability that high-income mothers return to work during the first year after child birth by 2.1–2.8 percentage points ( 15%–20%). However, the policy does not affect maternal employment along the extensive or intensive margin (part-time or full-time work) in the long run (i.e. up to 4.5 years after child). This indicates that while the reform successfully encourages early part-time return to work among high-income mothers, it does not significantly reduce the child penalty. However, it does also not trap mothers in part-time employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Elsevier) ((en))

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Battaglia, Emily & Jessica H. Brown (2025): The labor market effects of pregnancy accommodation laws. In: Journal of Population Economics, Jg. 38, H. 4. DOI:10.1007/s00148-025-01141-z

Abstract

"Pregnancy accommodation laws require “reasonable accommodations” for pregnant workers, i.e., sitting down, lifting restrictions, and additional bathroom breaks. Although these laws may make it easier for women to remain employed during pregnancy, as a mandated benefit, they may also discourage employers from hiring employees who may become pregnant. We estimate the effect of pregnancy accommodation laws on labor market outcomes for women of childbearing age in order to determine whether these laws lead employers to discriminate against young women in hiring. Using a difference-in-differences design comparing women’s labor market outcomes across states throughout the staggered roll-out of thirteen state pregnancy accommodation laws from 2013 to 2016, we find no impact on female employment and wages. These null results are robust to a triple differences design that uses men’s labor market outcomes as an additional control. Subgroupanalyses of groups most likely to be affected, including those with less education, in more physically intense occupations, and married without children, also show no consistent impact of the new laws. These results suggest that this group-specific mandated benefit did not lead to discrimination in the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bover, Olympia, Nezih Guner, Yuliya Kulikova, Alessandro Ruggieri & Carlos Sanz (2025): Family-Friendly Policies and Fertility: What Firms Have to Do With It? (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20411), London, 67 S.

Abstract

"Family-friendly policies aim to help women balance work and family life, encouraging them to participate in the labor market. How effective are such policies in increasing fertility? We answer this question using a search model of the labor market where firms make hiring, promotion, and firing decisions, taking into account how these decisions affect workers' fertility incentives and labor force participation decisions. We estimate the model using administrative data from Spain, a country with very low fertility and a highly regulated labor market. We use the model to study family-friendly policies and demonstrate that firms' reactions result in a trade-off: policies that increase fertility reduce women's participation in the labor market and lower their lifetime earnings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Broadway, Barbara & Guyonne Kalb (2025): The Effect of Separation on Poverty and Employment. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18343), Bonn, 75 S.

Abstract

"Using 2001–2021 HILDA survey data, this paper estimates how separation or divorce affects poverty and employment trajectories over five years after the event. A difference-in-differences approach compares separated individuals with couples who stayed together, accounting for recent and long-term labour market history prior to separation. Women with preschool children face a 19.9 percentage point higher poverty risk in the first year, which fades within three years. Women with older or no children experience smaller but longer-lasting poverty increases. Pre-separation employment strongly moderates effects: non-employed women face much higher poverty risks than employed women who have similar poverty risks to men. Men's poverty impacts are smaller and shorter-lived. Separation barely changes women's employment but slightly reduces men's employment, especially those with preschool children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Caplin, Andrew, Søren Leth-Petersen & Christopher Tonetti (2025): Beliefs and Realities of Work and Care After Childbirth. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20423), London, 32 S.

Abstract

"Models of female labor supply routinely assume that women have accurate expectations about post-birth employment, but little is known about whether this assumption holds. We use a 2019 state-contingent survey of 11,000 Danish women linked to administrative data to compare pre-birth beliefs to realized outcomes. Mothers accurately anticipate long-run return to work but systematically overestimate how soon it will occur. Miscalibration stems from two belief errors—about partner leave and own labor supply—which interact and persist even among second-time mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Choi, Youjin, Rachel Margolis & Anders Holm (2025): The Effects of Extended Parental Benefits on Parents’ Employment and Earnings in Canada. In: Demography, Jg. 62, H. 3, S. 879-898. DOI:10.1215/00703370-11958785

Abstract

"Paid parental benefits, with individually earmarked time for mothers and fathers, aim to promote gender equality in labor force participation, wages, and childcare. The Canadian province of Québec expanded parental benefits over and above the federal policy in 2006 with the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), which introduced paid paternity leave and lower eligibility criteria as its key features. This policy aimed to increase gender equality by encouraging fathers to use parental benefits and expanding coverage to low-income parents. Using Canadian administrative data and exploiting the policy changes in 2006 as a natural experiment, we examine the effects of Québec's extended parental benefits policy on parents’ employment and earnings over 10 years after the transition to parenthood. First, we find that fathers’ use of parental benefits had positive long-run effects on mothers’ and fathers’ earnings 8–10 years after a first birth. Second, we find that among women with low earnings before the transition to parenthood, QPIP increased the likelihood of employment 1–7 years after a first birth. This article provides the first evidence that a policy dramatically expanding parental benefits and encouraging use among both parents can have long-term positive effects on parents’ labor market outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Cobb-Clark, Deborah A., Tung Dang & Hayley Fisher (2025): Daycare Accessibility and Maternal Labor Market Outcomes: Do Quality Ratings Matter? (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18300), Bonn, 43 S.

Abstract

"Using administrative data on Australian daycare centers and a triple-difference design, we examine the impact of daycare availability and quality ratings on childcare utilization and mothers' labor market outcomes. We document a substantial positive impact of daycare availability and higher quality ratings on formal care usage and mothers' employment and earnings. The effect of quality ratings is particularly pronounced among high-income, more-educated, and first-time mothers, whose perceptions of local daycare quality are most responsive to changes in ratings. Our findings underscore the important roles of childcare quality, in addition to accessibility, in shaping families' childcare choices and mothers' employment decisions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Collischon, Matthias, Kamila Cygan-Rehm & Regina T. Riphahn (2025): Subsidized small jobs and maternal labor market outcomes in the long run. In: Socio-economic review, Jg. 23, H. 3, S. 1193-1223., 2025-01-21. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwaf012

Abstract

"This article investigates whether incentives generated by public policies contribute to motherhood penalties. Specifically, we study the consequences of subsidized small jobs, the German Minijobs, which are frequently taken up by first-time mothers upon labor market return. Using a combination of propensity score matching and an event study applied to administrative data, we compare the long-run child penalties of mothers who started out in a Minijob employment versus unsubsidized employment or non-employment after birth. We find persistent differences between the Minijobbers and otherwise employed mothers up to 10 years after the first birth, which suggests adverse unintended consequences of the small jobs subsidy program for maternal earnings and pensions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cook, Freya, Eckhard Janeba & Davud Rostam-Afschar (2025): Zugang, Auslastung und Öffnungszeiten von Kitas: Führt bessere Betreuung zu mehr Beschäftigung von Frauen? In: Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Jg. 26, H. 4, S. 425-440. DOI:10.1515/pwp-2025-0011

Abstract

"Fehlende Kinderbetreuung gilt als Ursache für Unterschiede in der Beschäftigung von Männern und Frauen. In diesem Beitrag verwenden Freya Cook, Eckhard Janeba* und Davud Rostam-Afschar Daten aus dem Infrastrukturatlas sowie Raum- und Stadtentwicklungsindikatoren, um zu untersuchen, welche Rolle Erreichbarkeit, Auslastung und Öffnungszeiten von Kindertagesstätten (Kitas) in Deutschland für die Beschäftigung spielen. Die Daten umfassen Fahrzeiten von 22,5 Millionen Wohnadressen zu verschiedenen Einrichtungen öffentlicher Infrastruktur, darunter 55.000 Kitas. Es zeigt sich, dass sich in Regionen mit vergleichsweise besserer Erreichbarkeit, geringerer Auslastung und längeren Kita-Öffnungszeiten die Beschäftigung von Frauen und Männern weniger stark unterscheidet als in anderen. Die Ergebnisse sind zwar nicht kausal zu interpretieren, doch die Öffnungszeiten nehmen eine besonders relevante Rolle ein, die auch nach Berücksichtigung regionaler Charakteristika bestehen bleibt. Eine Überschlagsrechnung legt nahe, dass eine Verbesserung der Kita-Infrastruktur die Beschäftigungslücke deutlich verringern und bis zu 950.000 zusätzliche Frauen in sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigung bringen könnte." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Cuevas-Ruiz, Pilar, José Ignacio Giménez-Nadal, Sveva Manfredi & Almudena Sevilla (2025): A new model of parental time investments: A paradigm shift for addressing gender inequality in the labor market. (CEP discussion paper / Centre for Economic Performance 2126), London, 38 S.

Abstract

"This paper introduces a new framework for understanding the persistence of the motherhood penalty by emphasizing the role of on-call care. Using a pseudo-panel event study based on the 2003-2022 American Time Use Survey (ATUS), we quantify how different types of parental care time contribute to post-childbirth labor market outcomes. Our results show that gender gaps in on-call care, not primary childcare, drive the long-term reduction in mothers' Paid work. In the first two years after birth, declines in paid work are largely explained by primary interactive childcare. Over time, however, on-call care becomes the dominant factor. This shift is not accounted for in existing labor market models, nor in standard policies such as parental leave and childcare subsidies. We argue that the persistent economic costs of gender inequality can be better understood and addressed by integrating the temporal and unpredictable nature of caregiving into economic theory and policy design." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ellingsæter, Anne Lise & Ragni Hege Kitterød (2025): Towards more gender equal parental time allocation: Norway, 1980–2010. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2521059

Abstract

"Research indicates a converging trend in how mothers and fathers allocate their time across Western societies, leading to a narrowing of gender gaps. Our case study, spanning three decades in the social democratic welfare state of Norway, offers new insights into the long-term processes that might drive these gender convergence trends. Data for this study were drawn from time-use surveys conducted between 1980 and 2010. This exploration of changing time allocation differentiates between mothers and fathers at various stages of parenthood, across different time periods and examines time devoted to work (including paid work, unpaid work, and total workload) as well as non-work (such as leisure and personal needs/rest). The gradual but uneven removal of institutional and cultural constraints – facilitated by the strengthening of egalitarian earner-caregiver policies and norms – was accompanied by significant shifts in how successive Generations of parents allocated their time. Over the decades, mothers’ and fathers’ time allocation became more similar, particularly in the 2000s. Notably, the equalization of time use was especially prominent among parents of preschool-aged children. However, among these parents, the total workload increased, resulting in less leisure time for both mothers and fathers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Farré, Lídia, Libertad González, Claudia Hupkau & Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela (2025): Paternity leave in Spain. In: SERIEs, Jg. 16, H. 3-4, S. 749-784. DOI:10.1007/s13209-025-00320-1

Abstract

"Between 2017 and 2021, Spain progressively extended paternity leave from 2 to 16 weeks, equalizing it with maternity leave and introducing mandatory weeks. A 2018 reform also allowed fathers to split their leave. Using administrative data on all leave permits since 2016, we analyze trends in paternity leave take-up. Following the introduction of mandatory leave, the share of fathers taking leave increased by around 20 percentage points, and most now use nearly the full entitlement. The share opting to split leave has steadily grown, surpassing 50% by 2023. However, this behavior shows marked heterogeneity: While overall uptake is uniform across groups, leave-splitting is far more common among higher-income fathers and more prevalent in certain sectors. Spain’s experience illustrates how policy design can significantly increase paternity leave usage, though workplace flexibility and income-related constraints shape how fathers use that time." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fauser, Sophia, Emanuela Struffolino & Asaf Levanon (2025): Converging mothers' employment trajectories between East and West Germany? A focus on the 2008‐childcare‐reform. In: Journal of Marriage and Family, Jg. 87, H. 2, S. 566-589. DOI:10.1111/jomf.13040

Abstract

"Objective: Aiming to generate evidence on how contextual conditions shape individuals' opportunities and constraints and, ultimately, life courses, we focus on a period of childcare expansion in reunified Germany. We investigate differences in employment trajectories around mothers' first childbirths to identify potential East–West convergence. Background: During Germany's division (1949–1990), universal public childcare and female full-time employment were the norm in East Germany, while the male breadwinner model was dominant in the West. These differences, although declining, persisted even decades after reunification. In 2008, a reform aimed at expanding childcare availability to facilitate mothers' employment throughout the country. Methods: We measure East–West differences in employment trajectories around childbirth pre- (1990–2007) and post-reform(2008–2021) in terms of timing, order, and duration of events over time. We use data on 359 East and 986 West German first-time-mothers from the German Socio-Economic Panel and sequence analysis tools. Results: Before the reform, employment trajectories between East and West German mothers differed both in timing and duration of employment states. After the reform, these differences decreased, showing a general convergence in the prevalence of post-birth part-time employment. Nonetheless, longer maternity leave is still more prevalent among West German mothers, while East German mothers are more likely to maintain full-time jobs. Conclusion: Our findings show how policy settings and reforms shape life courses in a context-dependent fashion. They illustrate the importance of a methodological approach that focuses on process outcomes and supports a theoretical perspective that highlights how historical time and place shape life courses." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ferrer, Ana, Yazhuo (Annie) Pan & Tammy Schirle (2025): Added Worker Effects in Canada: The Effect of Spousal Job Loss on Transitions into Employment. In: Canadian public policy, Jg. 51, H. 1, S. 16-34. DOI:10.3138/cpp.2024-012

Abstract

"We examine added worker effects in Canada using the Labour Force Survey. At the extensive margin, we find that married women who are not employed are more likely to enter employment the month after a spouse has lost a job. Spousal job loss does not affect women's transition into employment in later months, and there are no significant effects for men. The effects do not appear to represent a behavioural response to an exogenous or unexpected spousal layoff. Rather, the women most likely to move in and out of employment have spouses who are more likely to experience a layoff that the family might anticipate, and they are prepared to respond. The added worker effect is stronger for more educated women, for homeowners, and when spouses’ wages are higher. At the intensive margin, we do not see significant changes in hours worked among employed persons when their spouse loses a job." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Filser, Andreas, Pascal Achard, Inga Marie Amend, Corinna Frodermann, Inga Gaede & Sander Wagner (2025): Harmonizing French and German administrative data on maternal employment. A practical guide how to create comparable data sets from DADS-EDP and SIAB. (SocArXiv papers), 18 S. DOI:10.31219/osf.io/rcsng

Abstract

"This paper provides a guide how to harmonize large-scale administrative datasets from France (DADS-EDP) and Germany (SIAB) for comparative social science research. France and Germany. While both datasets offer rich, longitudinal information on individual employment trajectories which can be augmented with firm-level information, they differ in structure, sample coverage, and variable coding. Harmonizing these datasets unlocks new potential for comparative research, particularly in examining the labor market trajectories of mothers in both countries. This paper outlines the necessary steps to harmonize these data sources and gives an overview on the set of harmonized variables. The harmonized data is of significant value for researchers, providing a foundation for comparative studies on labor market outcomes in France and Germany, especially in the context of welfare state differences and their importance within the EU and worldwide. The code for harmonization is provided for further adaptation to specific research questions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Flisbäck, Marita (2025): A social class analysis of desire and outcome concerning parental leave among first-time parents in Sweden: theoretical perspectives and reflections on policy relevance. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2575769

Abstract

"Parenthood is a practice through which both gender and class are created. Drawing on longitudinal qualitative interviews, this article explores how these processes unfold during the initial phase of parenthood. Analyzing Swedish first-time parents' plans and actual outcomes regarding parental leave, three main motivations emerge: promoting gender equality, bonding with their child, and creating a meaningful life. However, parents in blue-collar occupations seem to distance themselves from the rhetoric of Swedish gender equality policy. For them, parental leave is less about equal opportunities in family and work, and more about solidarity and collective responsibility. A further distinction arises between viewing parental leave as a way to enjoy the present and as a future investment – an idea echoed in recent Swedish family policy. These 'social distinctions' contribute to the formation of different existential mottos that shape parental engagement. Moreover, depending on their cultural and economic capital, and their positions within occupational fields, parents develop varying strategies to align the practice with their wishes. In this context, real freedom diverges from statutory rights. The limits of decommodification within the Swedish parental insurance system appear to affect both the most and least in-demand groups in the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gerich, Joachim & Martina Beham-Rabanser (2025): Perceived fairness and legitimacy of parental workplace discrimination. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-27. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2453175

Abstract

"Parental discrimination has been shown to be related to several risks, including impaired health, increased job stress, and decreased job satisfaction, which calls for increased awareness of parental discrimination. This paper analyzes fairness and legitimacy judgments of unequal treatment based on parental status at work and the antecedents that influence these judgments. Stereotypes of symbolic vilification that suggest lower commitment due to caring responsibilities, and symbolic amplification, which refers to rational economic organizational needs, are expected to rationalize discrimination. Moreover, we expect specific values and ideologies to be related to judgments of fairness and legitimacy, mediated by resonance with symbolic vilification and amplification. Analyses are based on survey data from a sample of employees aged between 20 and 45 years (n = 376). Respondents' evaluations of parental discrimination were measured using two fictional cases. The results suggest that greater acceptance of vilifying and amplifying justifications is triggered by a stronger preference for the ideal worker norm and traditional gender role expectations. Women tend to view discrimination as more unfair and illegitimate than men, while men's judgments are more strongly driven by economic reasoning." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ghosh, Saikat & Christian Aßmann (2025): Assessing the Differential Income Effects of Maternal Employment Interruptions in Germany. (LIfBi working paper 121), Bamberg, 30 S. DOI:10.5157/LIfBi:WP121:1.0

Abstract

"Employment interruption due to childbirth remains a key contributor to the persistent motherhood penalty in labour markets. While such interruptions consistently reduce earnings, their impact is not uniform and depends significantly on the nature of subsequent employment. This study offers robust empirical evidence on the nuanced effects of employment interruptions, employment types, and job changes on mothers’ annual labour income in Germany. Utilizing a dataset, which combines rich survey and administrative records, we estimate the differential effects of employment interruptions in interaction with employment type and job mobility. Our findings reveal that the income penalties associated with employment interruptions vary substantially depending on whether mothers engage in regular or non-regular work, and whether they change jobs post-childbirth. The results also document a reasonable amount of persistent latent heterogeneity. These insights have important implications for labour market policy and contribute to the limited empirical literature on post-childbirth employment trajectories." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Goldberg, Pinelopi, Charles Gottlieb, Somik V. Lall, Meet Mehta, Michael Peters & Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan (2025): The Global Gender Distortions Index (GGDI). (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20554), London, 58 S.

Abstract

"The extent to which women participate in the labor market varies greatly across the globe. If such differences reflect distortions that women face in accessing good jobs, they can reduce economic activity through a misallocation of talent. In this paper, we build on Hsieh et al. (2019) to provide a methodology to quantify these productivity consequences. The index we propose, the ”Global Gender Distortions Index (GGDI)”, measures the losses in aggregate productivity that gender-based misallocation imposes. Our index allows us to separately identify labor demand distortions (e.g., discrimination in hiring for formal jobs) from labor supply distortions (e.g., frictions that discourage women’s labor force participation) and can be computed using data on labor income and job types. Our methodology also highlights an important distinction between welfare-relevant misallocation and the consequences on aggregate GDP if misallocation arises between market work and non-market activities. To showcase the versatility of our index, we analyze gender misallocation within countries over time, across countries over the development spectrum, and across local labor markets within countries. We find that misallocation is substantial and that demand distortions account for most of the productivity losses." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Grönqvist, Erik, Yoko Okuyama, Lena Hensvik & Anna Thoresson (2025): Women's labor market opportunities and equality in the household. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2025,11), Uppsala, 57 S.

Abstract

"We study how changes in couples’ relative wages affect the division of childcare.Using a nationwide wage reform that raised pay in the female-dominated teaching profession, we find that closing 25% of the earnings gap between female teachers and their male spouses led to a 12% reduction in the childcare time gap. This result holds when we extend the analysis to major pay raises for women at the population level. Data support the mechanism that women reduce their childcare time when the spouse can step in by working more from home. Policies that address female pay can foster household equality if men have access to flexible work arrangements." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Haan, Peter, Michaela Kreyenfeld, Sarah Schmauk & Tatjana Mika (2025): Rentenansprüche von Frauen bleiben mit steigender Kinderzahl deutlich hinter denen von Männern zurück. In: DIW-Wochenbericht, Jg. 92, H. 12, S. 183-189. DOI:10.18723/diw_wb:2025-12-1

Abstract

"Der Gender Pension Gap, der den Unterschied bei den Rentenansprüchen zwischen Männern und Frauen misst, liegt laut Daten der Deutschen Rentenversicherung im Alter von 60 Jahren bei 32 Prozent. Darüber hinaus zeigt sich auch ein deutlicher Unterschied bei den gesetzlichen Rentenansprüchen zwischen Müttern und kinderlosen Frauen (Motherhood Pension Gap). Diesem Gap wirken die im Jahr 1986 eingeführten und seither mehrfach modifizierten Kindererziehungszeiten entgegen. Die Anrechnung von Kindererziehungszeiten reduziert die Unterschiede der Rentenanwartschaften zwischen kinderlosen Frauen und Müttern zwar deutlich, allerdings nur für die Jahre nach der Geburt. Für die Geburtsjahrgänge 1952 bis 1959 liegt der Motherhood Pension Gap im Alter von 60 Jahren in Westdeutschland bei 26 Prozent: Kindererziehungszeiten können den Rentennachteil von Müttern nicht ausgleichen. Weitere sozial- und steuerpolitische Maßnahmen, die eine gleichberechtigte Aufteilung von Sorge- und Erwerbsarbeit fördern, sind notwendig. Neben dem Ausbau der Kinderbetreuung sind Reformen des Ehegattensplittings und der Minijobs sowie ein Umbau der Arbeitswelt erforderlich, der die Bedürfnisse von Sorgetragenden stärker berücksichtigt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Hipp, Lena (2025): Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don’t? Experimental Evidence from Germany on Hiring Discrimination Against Mothers with Short Family Leave. In: Work and occupations, S. 1-32. DOI:10.1177/07308884251360325

Abstract

"Can women overcome motherhood penalties by quickly returning to their jobs after childbirth? Do employers discriminate against fathers who take extended family leave? To answer these questions, I exploit some unique features of Germany's parental leave and job application system. My field experiment shows that mothers who only took the mandatory leave of two months are less likely to be invited to a job interview than mothers who stayed home for a year. There is, however, no difference between fathers who took short versus long periods of leave. The results of the supplementary laboratory experiment support my theoretical claim that women who “lean in” and violate the norm of being “a good mother” are judged more negatively than norm-violating men, who benefit from their culturally ascribed higher status in professional settings. My study hence underscores that women are required to enact traditional family roles to “fit in” but men are not. Fathers have more leeway in their behaviors and are evaluated according to a more flexible range of criteria than mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hohendanner, Christian, Markus Janser & Florian Lehmer (2025): Strukturwandel am Arbeitsmarkt durch die ökologische Transformation - Folgen für Geschlechterverhältnisse auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Expertise für den Vierten Gleichstellungsbericht der Bundesregierung. Berlin, 94 S.

Abstract

"Die vorliegende Expertise untersucht erstmals quantitativ die strukturellen Veränderungen des Arbeitsmarktes in Deutschland im Hinblick auf geschlechtsbezogene Aspekte, die im Zuge der ökologischen Transformation entstehen. Wir verwenden hierfür einen Tasks-basierten Ansatz zur Identifikation der betroffenen Akteur*innen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Dazu werden der Greenness-of-Jobs Index (GOJI) (Janser 2019, 2024), das IAB-Berufepanel (Version 2012-2022, inkl. GOJI) sowie deskriptive Statistiken auf Basis des IAB-Betriebspanels herangezogen. Das IAB-Berufepanel wie die Auswertungen des IAB-Betriebspanels sind auf der Homepage des IAB öffentlich zugänglich und können für weitere Analysen genutzt werden. Zusätzlich werden Maßnahmen diskutiert, die helfen könnten, mögliche Ungleichheiten in der ökologischen Transformation abzufedern und zu überwinden. Ziel der Expertise ist es, den Sachverständigen für den Vierten Gleichstellungsbericht eine fundierte empirische Grundlage zu den Veränderungen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt und deren potenziellen Folgen für Geschlechterverhältnisse durch die ökologische Transformation zu liefern. Die Expertise zeigt auf, inwiefern Frauen und Männer gleichermaßen oder unterschiedlich von den Entwicklungen des Arbeitsmarktes profitieren bzw. betroffen sind. Es wird dargestellt, in welchen Branchen und Berufen sich Tätigkeitsfelder verändert haben und neue Beschäftigungsverhältnisse entstanden bzw. weggefallen sind – jeweils mit besonderem Fokus auf die Unterschiede zwischen Frauen und Männern. Vor dem Hintergrund aller zusammengetragenen Erkenntnisse wird abschließend diskutiert, inwiefern die bisherigen Ergebnisse darauf hindeuten, dass sich geschlechtsbezogene Unterschiede bzw. Ungleichheiten auf dem Arbeitsmarkt in der ökologischen Transformation eher angleichen oder weiter auseinanderentwickeln." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Höpfner, Elena (2025): Wie Mütter für den Arbeitsmarkt verfügbar gemacht werden sollen. Vorgaben zur frühzeitigen Aktivierung von Erziehenden kleiner Kinder unter drei Jahren in der Grundsicherung. In: Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, Jg. 71, H. 1, S. 63-86., 2025-01-08. DOI:10.1515/zsr-2024-0024

Abstract

"Erziehende im Bürgergeldbezug können bis zum dritten Lebensjahr des Kindes die Forderungen, arbeiten zu müssen oder sich darauf z. B. durch Maßnahmen vorzubereiten, verneinen. Auf diesen Ausnahmetatbestand von der Pflicht zur Erwerbsarbeit – verankert im § 10 im Zweiten Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB II) – berufen sich fast ausschließlich Mütter. Diese Zeitspanne der ersten drei Lebensjahre des Kindes soll jedoch zukünftig an allen Jobcentern – so untergesetzliche Weisungen seit 2021 – intensiver als bisher dafür genutzt werden, vorhandene „Erwerbspotenziale“ der Mütter zu erkennen und ihre „Arbeitsmarktintegration vorzubereiten“. Im Rahmen dieses Beitrags bin ich der Frage nachgegangen, wie diese Bemühungen um „frühzeitige Aktivierung“ in einer Änderung der administrativen Vorgaben institutionalisiert werden. Wie sollen Mütter kleiner Kinder in der Grundsicherung zukünftig für den Arbeitsmarkt verfügbar gemacht werden und unter welchen Bedingungen kann ihnen Erwerbsarbeit zugemutet werden? Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrags ist eine Analyse dieser arbeitsmarkt- und sozialpolitisch motivierten Änderungen. Diese erfolgt mittels einer historischen Einordnung sowie einer Dokumentenanalyse der Vorgaben – die sich als Prozess der Verfügbarmachung in fünf Dimensionen aufschlüsseln und als ein Rekommodifizierungsversuch einer bisher im Wohlfahrtsstaat geschützten Lebensphase deuten lassen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter)

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Ishizuka, Patrick (2025): Parental self-evaluations by gender and social class: Shared parenting ideals, male breadwinner norms, and mothers’ higher evaluation standards. In: Social science research, Jg. 128. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2025.103156

Abstract

"Cultural norms that define “good” parenting are central to sociological explanations of gender inequality among parents and social class differences in parental investments in children. Yet, little is known about how mothers and fathers of different social classes evaluate their success as parents and what predicts those assessments. Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examines how caregiving and breadwinning are tied to parents’ self-evaluations by genderand social class. Results show that intensive parenting activities and full-time employment strongly predict more positive self-evaluations for mothers and fathers, reflecting gender symmetry in core cultural expectations of parents. However, earnings, homeownership, and overwork positively predict self-evaluations for fathers only, and mothers evaluate themselves more negatively than fathers at the same level of involvement and financial provision. Finally, intensive parenting activities similarly positively predict self-evaluations for more- and less-educated parents. Findings highlight challenges to meeting cultural expectations of modern parenthood, particularly for mothers and economically disadvantaged parents." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author. Published byElsevier Inc.) ((en))

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Jalovaara, Marika, Leen Rahnu & Anneli Miettinen (2025): Employment status and entry into parenthood: Weaker labor market status an unlikely driver of cohort fertility decline in a Nordic welfare state. In: Acta sociologica, S. 1-18. DOI:10.1177/00016993251403380

Abstract

"Previous studies in the Nordic context have found a positive association between stronger labor market attachment and entry into parenthood (i.e. first birth), with the association being stronger for men than women and influenced by educational attainment and life-course stage. Using total population register data and event history methods, this study asks whether and how the relationship between employment status and entry into parenthood has changed for women and men born in Finland in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. We first examine how the employment situations in which women and men make decisions about entering parenthood have changed across cohorts. Our results indicate that episodes of unemployment have not increased across cohorts of women and men who are (still) childless. At the same time, young adults are increasingly combining studies and paid employment. Stable employment promotes entry into parenthood for both men and women, although the association remains stronger for men. Sufficient economic resources to start a family may have become even more important in recent cohorts, as the negative association between longer-term unemployment and transition to parenthood appears to have intensified. We also observe a cohort trend toward delayed or foregone entry into parenthood occurring regardless of labor market status. To conclude, although weak labor market status is associated with lower first-birth rates, it is unlikely to be a major driver of the cohort fertility decline, as we observe no deterioration in young adults’ labor market status and only modest changes in its association with entry into parenthood." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kałamucka, Agata, Anna Matysiak & Beata Osiewalska (2025): Working-time flexibility among European couples. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2535735

Abstract

"This study examines patterns of working-time flexibility among European heterosexual couples, focusing on both employee – and employer-oriented flexibilities. Using 2019 EU LFS and multinomial logit models, we analyse how these flexibilities are distributed between partners, considering education and parenthood status. The findings highlight the critical role of working-time flexibility in shaping labor force participation and reveal stark differences across socioeconomic and family contexts. Among the tertiary-educated strata, there is a high prevalence of dual-earner couples in which both partners work with employee-oriented flexibility, which remains consistently high even when there are children at home. This pattern is, however, much more common in Western Europe than in Southern and Central Eastern Europe. In contrast, below tertiary-educated couples are less likely to have employee-oriented flexibility and more often form male breadwinner families, particularly as family size increases. Additionally, we demonstrate that below tertiary-educated fathers often have to rely on employer-oriented schedules, which highlight the challenges they may face in balancing work and family responsibilities due to unpredictable work hours. We found this pattern most common in Southern Europe. This study underscores the critical intersection of education, working-time flexibility, and parenthood in shaping labour force participation and perpetuating gender inequalities across socioeconomic strata." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kotsadam, Andreas, Mette Løvgren, Nicolas Moreau, Elena Stancanelli & Arthur van Soest (2025): When Gender Kicks in: an Experimental Study of Work from Home and Attitudes to Household Work and Childcare. (Paris-Jourdan Science Economiques. Working paper 2025-45), Paris, 39 S.

Abstract

"We study how working from home links to gendered attitudes about household work and childcare. Using a vignette experiment embedded in a regular Dutch population representative survey, we randomly vary the gender of the partner working from home in a hypothetical dualearner couple. When presented with various routine and emergency chores, respondents, on average, agree that the partner working from home should execute them, and the extent of agreement is significantly larger when the vignette randomly depicts a man, rather than a woman, working from home. These differences in respondents’gendered expectations around performing chores are not statistically significant in the baseline scenario where no partner works from home. All in all, the evidence gathered indicates that Work from Home may blast rather than boost gender norms around household work and childcare." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kurowska, Anna, Agnieszka Kasperska & Gayle Kaufman (2025): When Working From Home Fails to Support Work–Life Balance: The Role of Childcare- and Work-Related Demands. In: Journal of Family Issues, Jg. 46, H. 11, S. 1664-1692. DOI:10.1177/0192513x251356260

Abstract

"The new normal of working from home (WFH) brought by the COVID-19 pandemic enabled parents to manage increased childcare demands while working remotely. Using multi-country data from the Familydemic Harmonized Dataset (n = 9364), this study examines how WFH was related to perceived changes in work–life balance (WLB) among mothers and fathers, considering the moderating role of childcare- and work-related demands. Overall, WFH was positively associated with improved WLB, regardless of partnership status. However, this relationship weakened for mothers whose children were out of formal childcare for over a month and when they increased their working hours. Furthermore, we found that fathers who extended their working hours while WFH were more likely to report worsened WLB than those working in the office. These findings, though based on mid-2021 data, remain relevant post-pandemic as parents continue to navigate the challenges of WFH, childcare, and demanding work schedules." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kümmerling, Angelika, Lina Zink & Andreas Jansen (2025): Spannungsfeld Vereinbarkeit. Arbeitsaufteilung, Geschlechterrollen und Aushandlungen im Paarkontext. Gütersloh, 67 S. DOI:10.11586/2025005

Abstract

"Im Fokus der Studie des zweiten Teils der Reihe "Spannungsfeld Vereinbarkeit“ stehen die Arbeitsaufteilung, Geschlechterrollen und Aushandlungen zwischen Frauen und Männern in heterosexuellen Paarbeziehungen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine stark verzerrte unterschiedliche Wahrnehmung über die Zuständigkeiten im Haushalt. Die ungleiche Verteilung der Haus- und Sorgearbeit und traditionelle Rollenbilder sind weiterhin ein Hemmnis für eine stärkere Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Larsen Gibby, Ashley, Jocelyn Wikle & Cambria Siddoway (2025): Maternal labor supply among fully biological, fully adoptive, and mixed biological/adoptive mothers. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-22. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2504910

Abstract

"Research in Western Europe shows that adoptive and non-adoptive mothers do not differ dramatically in earnings, supporting the conclusion that biology is not a strong explanation for the wage gap between mothers and fathers. We expand on this conclusion by examining these trends in the United States and considering two new explanations of why adoptive and non-adoptive mothers may differ: socioeconomic inequalities and commitment to the labor market. We consider differences between fully biological mothers (n = 269,930), fully adoptive mothers (n = 3,865), and mothers with both biological and adopted children (mixed biological/adoptive, n = 1,712) using the United States Current Population Survey (CPS) from 2007 to 2018. Regression results show that fully adoptive mothers were least likely, and fully biological mothers were most likely, to be employed. There were no significant differences in usual work hours across these groups. Moderation results show that adoption was not a consistent predictor of labor supply among those with young children or high levels of education. Our results are exploratory and suggest that adoptive mothers are socioeconomically advantaged, possibly reducing their need to work. Further, our moderation results challenge the idea that adoptive mothers have weaker ties to the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Liu, Andrew Yizhou (2025): Paid family leave and occupational mobility. In: Applied Economics, S. 1-12. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2025.2526858

Abstract

"Paid family leave (PFL) programmes provide temporary financial support and workplace flexibility for mothers, potentially influencing their occupational choices after childbirth. I find that state-level PFL programs reduce downward occupational mobility among women aged 19 to 35 with children aged 0 to 3 by approximately 42%, with stronger effects among high-school educated, black, and single mothers. However, these policies have no significant impact on upward occupational mobility, indicating that PFL alone may be insufficient for reducing the gender gap in occupation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lütolf, Meret (2025): The Balancing Act of Working Mothers and Caring Fathers. Impact of Family Policy on Egalitarianism in Families in Western Democracies. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 220 S. DOI:10.1007/978-3-658-47716-5

Abstract

"This Open-Access-book explores how egalitarian parental leave policies can support a more balanced division of paid work and caregiving. Introducing a novel analysis grid and a unique dataset, Meret Lütolf examines parental leave policies in five countries – United States, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, and Sweden – revealing how fully paid, non-transferable leave can promote gender-neutral caregiving roles. Key findings highlight the connection between longer paternal leave and a more equal distribution of unpaid work, along with fathers’ willingness to reduce paid work hours in favor of caregiving. By combining multiple research methods, the study links policy intentions with real-life outcomes and identifies feasible reforms, including full wage replacement, that can enhance egalitarianism without raising policy costs. Offering valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and advocates, this book demonstrates how parental leave policies can contribute to more equal family dynamics and address broader gender inequalities in society." (Publisher information, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lütolf, Meret (2025): Paternal Leave Duration and the Closure of the Gendered Family Work Gap. In: Social Politics, Jg. 32, H. 4, S. 1153-1183. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxaf017

Abstract

"In recent years, as societal norms evolve, active fatherhood has gained prominence as contributing to child well-being and gender equality. Parental leave policies are seen as key support, yet the extent to which paternity leave, and in particular the duration of its effective uptake, and the longer-term objective of gender equality in unpaid work correlate, remains unclear. This article explores the link between paternal leave uptake and subsequent care division among parents, considering country opportunities and individual attitudes. Using new survey data from five countries including a novel 24-hour slider measurement system, the linear regression models reveal a positive correlation between longer paternal leave uptake and a more balanced distribution of unpaid work, that is, a smaller family work gap. The study emphasizes the essential role of parental leave policies in fostering an egalitarian division of labor and enhances the understanding of the interplay between parental leave, caregiving, and gender." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Manicardi, Caterina & Maria Enrica Virgillito (2025): Unpaid Working Time and Disproportionate Female Hazard: an Intersectionality Perspective. (LEM working paper series / Laboratory of Economics and Management 2025/01), Pisa, 36 S. DOI:10.57838/sssa/0v9f-0384

Abstract

"How has the distribution of unpaid working time between men and women evolved over the last twenty years? Does unpaid working time still disproportionately affect women, more than fifty years after the massive entry of the female labor force into formal employment? And, if so, which market and non-market factors drive this stratification and could possibly facilitate the transition out of an unequal intrahousehold division of labor? This paper leverages the most complete dataset collecting individual time diaries, the ATUS-CPS 2003-2022, to investigate the role of market variables such as real wages, household income, industry and occupation vis-a -vis non-market factors such as gender, race, household type and state of residence in explaining variations in unpaid time allocation. By exploiting both the cross-sectional and panel dimensions of the dataset, we provide novel evidence on individual time allocation and its gendered distribution, integrating an intersectional perspective that looks at the role of income classes and socio-material conditions in affecting the likelihood of escaping disproportionate exposure to unpaid work. Our results indicate that, despite clear class-based patterns, belonging to the upper income class is not enough for women to escape disproportionate burdens." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Marcén, Miriam & Marina Morales (2025): The gender gap in working from home after the onset of COVID-19. In: Review of Economics of the Household, Jg. 23, H. 4, S. 1459-1486. DOI:10.1007/s11150-025-09809-x

Abstract

"This study examines changes in the gender gap in the take up and intensity of working from home following the unexpected onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the American Time Use Survey, we find that working from home became more prevalent among women than men, thus widening the gender gap. Job characteristics played a crucial role in this trend, particularly among private sector workers. The gender gap widened most significantly among young, highly educated individuals and those living with dependents. Moreover, our results suggest that social distancing measures increased working from home time for men but did not have the same effect on women. We also extend our analysis to other work-related outcomes, finding that women experienced less favorable outcomes, particularly an increase in unpredictable or non-standard schedules. Overall, this shift in the gender gap is statistically significant over time and remains robust." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Matysiak, Anna, Beata Osiewalska & Anna Kurowska (2025): The Role of Working-From-Home for Maternal Employment Re-Entry after Childbirth. (Working papers / Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw 2025-18), Warsaw, 43 S.

Abstract

"This study investigates how work-from-home (WFH) —by mothers and their male partners—shapes maternal employment re-entry after childbirth. Drawing on Conservation of Resources and Boundary Management theories, the study distinguishes between WFH access and regular use. It hypothesizes that regular WFH use by mothers and their partners supports earlier and full-time maternal return to paid work, particularly among second-time mothers. The UK Household Longitudinal Study (2009–2019) is used to estimate discrete-time hazard models of return to paid work after first and second births, distinguishing between full-time and part-time re-entry. Among first-time mothers, both WFH access and regular use are associated with a greater likelihood of full-time re-entry, though not with overall return. Among second-time mothers, regular pre-birth WFH use significantly increases the likelihood of returning to paid work—regardless of hours—whereas access alone does not. No significant associations are found between male partners' WFH and maternal employment outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Meekes, Jordy & Max van Lent (2025): The Impact of Neighbour, Colleague, and Family Peers on Parental Labour Supply. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18148), Bonn, 47 S.

Abstract

"Child penalties in paid working hours are persistent and widen the gender earnings gap. This paper studies an important mechanism through which working hours are affected: peer effects. Using three unique layers of peer networks: neighbours, colleagues, and family, we analyse peer effects on individuals' paid working hours. We analyse peer effects up to six years after childbirth on individuals who become first-time parents in the period 2014-2018, using Dutch full-population administrative monthly microdata up to September 2024. The identification strategy exploits exogenous variation in peers' working hours through peers-of-peers. Our research is the first to establish long-term statistically significant peer effects on fathers' working hours. The results indicate positive peer effects on fathers and mothers, where colleague peers are more important than neighbour peers and family peers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Monteiro Maia, Ana Sofia, Margarida Miguel Costeira e Pereira, Svenn-Erik Mamelund, Joana Maria Correia Amaro, Sílvia Jesus da Silva Fraga & Teresa Isabel Costa Leão (2025): “Be Mothers as if we Were not Workers, Be Workers as if we Were not Mothers”: A Qualitative Study on Parenthood’s Impact on Careers and Well-Being. In: Journal of Family Issues, S. 1-33. DOI:10.1177/0192513x251400278

Abstract

"Parenthood challenges work–life balance, particularly where traditional gender norms persist. Despite policy advancements, disparities in income and career progression remain, with mothers disproportionately assuming childcare and household responsibilities. This study explored the impact of parenthood on professional and personal life through thirty semi-structured interviews with Portuguese mothers and fathers living in Portugal and seven other European countries. Thematic content analysis revealed a dual narrative shaped by gender norms and country contexts. Women perceived motherhood as a career barrier, with some reducing work hours or leaving the workforce to become primary caregivers. In contrast, men assumed the breadwinner role by increasing workloads. Parenthood also had gendered health implications: women, particularly in Portugal, experienced anxiety and guilt, whereas men described physical health effects. The findings underscore how parenthood perpetuates gender disparities, highlighting the need for equitable parental leave policies and workplace reforms that support caregiving responsibilities for both mothers and fathers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Moroni, Gloria, Cheti Nicoletti, Kjell G. Salvanes & Emma Tominey (2025): Gender Equality Through Marriage. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18288), Bonn, 40 S., App.

Abstract

"We revisit the economic effects of marriage, analysing its heterogeneous impact on the intra-household labour division following childbirth. Can marriage promote coordination of work and child activities between parents and a gender egalitarian division of labour? Using a marginal treatment effect framework, we find the average effect of marriage is to increase parental specialization and worsen the mother's child penalty. However, we find differences across couples with varying resistance to marriage. While traditional couples (low-resistance) exhibit increased specialization; in modern couples (high-resistance) fathers have an earnings penalty and take more paternity leave, suggesting more coordination and gender equality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Morosow, Kathrin & Marika Jalovaara (2025): Single and partnered mothers’ labor market consequences of long family leave. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-22. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2535739

Abstract

"This study examines the heterogenous labor market effects of family leave policies for single and partnered mothers. Longer family leave has been shown to weaken women’s labor market positions and some studies have found heterogenous effects across population groups. However, whether the effect differs by partnership status remains unexplored. Using Finnish register data from 1989 to 2014 (ca. 2.5 million person-years) and controlling for selection into single motherhood by comparing estimates from OLS and FE models, this study compares single and partnered mothers’ unemployment and earnings consequent to extended family leaves. In line with predictions that single mothers may face greater work-family reconciliation issues or cumulative disadvantage leading to greater labor market penalties, the results showed that longer leave increases the length of unemployment for single mothers more than for partnered ones. This is not solely because of selection into single motherhood. Earnings penalties after family leave (net of employment status) are the same for single and partnered mothers. We conclude that similar long- lengths of family leave are penalized more among single mothers in terms of employment, which increases and reproduces social inequalities. This means that existing inequalities are reinforced by labor market absences supported by leave policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Narazani, Edlira, Ana Agúndez García, Michael Christl & Francesco Figari (2025): Increased childcare to promote mothers’ employment in selected EU countries. In: Journal of Policy Modeling, Jg. 47, H. 3, S. 492-511. DOI:10.1016/j.jpolmod.2024.12.005

Abstract

"This paper provides evidence of the maternal labor supply effects of increased childcare availability in a set of EU Member States based on the behavioural microsimulation model EUROLAB, that uses a labor market equilibrium model to encompass the demand side. Our findings indicate that achieving higher childcare participation rates would result in an overall increase in the labor supply of mothers with children below 3, with variations across countries. Furthermore, the labor demand side moderates slightly the final employment effect, but employment is still expected to rise substantially vis a vis the baseline situation. In countries like Hungary and Poland, where formal childcare and female labor participation are low, the expected impact on employment is likely to be higher. Conversely, in countries like Portugal the changes in employment are more modest. These findings indicate that universal, one-size-fits-all targets may not be efficient in the EU, given significant variations across countries in terms of labor market participation and childcare systems. Thus, tailored childcare policies that account for country-specific contexts within the EU are recommended." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Society for Policy Modeling. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Nivakoski, Sanna & Marianna Baggio (2025): Unpaid care in the EU. (Eurofound research report / European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), Dublin, 80 S. DOI:10.2806/5774709

Abstract

"As countries face increasing pressure when it comes to providing care services, unpaid caregivers make an invaluable contribution. Care is needed at all ages of life, particularly when individuals face health issues or disabilities. The majority of care is provided within families, without financial compensation. This report investigates the situation of unpaid carers, focusing on their characteristics and the type of care and support they provide. It also looks at their time-use patterns, their well-being and the challenges they encounter. The report analyses how unpaid caregivers are defined across the EU and examines national-level policies aimed at supporting them. While the analysis covers all unpaid carers, including those providing childcare and long-term care, a specific focus is placed on two groups: young caregivers and those providing multiple types of unpaid care." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Noa, Israeli, Gelbgiser Dafna & Stier Haya (2025): The gendered division of paid labour among families of children with disabilities: a comparative approach. In: European Societies, S. 1-45. DOI:10.1162/euso.a.83

Abstract

"Having a child with a disability intensifies work-family conflict due to the additional caregiving demands. Prior research suggests that this conflict reinforces more traditional patterns of labour division in families of children with disabilities (FOCD), contributing to a well-documented ‘disability penalty’, where mothers' relative contribution to paid labour is lower in FOCD than in other families. Yet, it remains unclear whether and how the disability penalty is shaped by family and FOCD-specific policies. We shed light on this association by analysing data from the 2021 European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EUSILC) data from four European countries that differ in their family policies frameworks: Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland. Our findings suggest that the interplay of family policies and prevailing gender norms may shape the extent of the disability penalty, with crossnational variations in the differences between FOCD and non-FOCD in their gendered division of paid labour. A significant disability penalty is observed only in Poland, a country marked by minimal, means-tested support for FOCD alongside expectations of full-time employment for both parents. In contrast, in Finland, Spain, and the Netherlands, the disability penalty is either negligible or statistically non-significant. These results highlight the importance of a comparative perspective in understanding the disability penalty and highlights the role of family policies in shaping labour market outcomes for FOCD. Findings offer valuable insights for policymakers addressing the challenges faced by FOCD across Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nuernbergk, Franziska & Kyra Riederer (2025): Das Elterngeld ist volljährig – Zeit, eine Bilanz zu ziehen. In: Ifo Dresden berichtet, Jg. 32, H. 3-4, S. 21-25.

Abstract

"Mit dem Elterngeld wurde 2007 eine zentrale familienpolitische Reform umgesetzt, die Erwerbsunterbrechungen nach der Geburt abfedern, die partnerschaftliche Aufteilung der Kinderbetreuung fördern und insbesondere Väter stärker einbinden sollte. Seither wurde das Elterngeld mehrfach reformiert, doch zentrale Herausforderungen wie die geschlechtsspezifische Ungleichverteilung bei der Inanspruchnahme bleiben bestehen. Zwar ist die Erwerbstätigkeit von Müttern seit Einführung des Elterngelds gestiegen, häufig jedoch nur in Teilzeit. Der Beitrag zieht eine Zwischenbilanz nach 18 Jahren Elterngeld und zeigt auf, wo die Reform wirksam war und wo Nachbesserungsbedarf besteht." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Pavolini, Emmanuele, Elisa Brini & Stefani Scherer (2025): The Elephant in the Family Policy Room: How Care Culture Influences the Effects of Public Childcare on Women’s Labor Market Participation in Europe. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 180, H. 3, S. 1619-1637. DOI:10.1007/s11205-025-03719-2

Abstract

"This paper examines how cultural contexts influence the extent to which policies aimed at supporting women’s employment and gender equality achieve their objectives. More specifically, it addresses how the availability of formal public childcare services for children under the age of three and their expansion support women’s labour market participation in different cultural contexts. Few studies have examined cultural and structural factors together. The study integrates individual-level data from the European Social Survey on women’s employment and their attitudes with time-varying regional-level information from statistical offices on public early childhood education and care (ECEC) provision and information on gender care culture obtained from different waves of the European Values Study. We find that increasing the availability of ECEC is particularly effective in promoting women’s full-time employment and women’s labour market participation in contexts where traditional cultural values regarding gendered care prevail. The results appear to be independent of individual attitudes. The paper highlights the interaction between structural and cultural factors in shaping employment behaviour and suggests that the outcomes of social policy interventions, such as the expansion of ECEC, are strongly influenced by cultural contexts, although not necessarily in the expected direction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Peters, Vinzenz, Susanne Schlepphorst & Rosemarie Kay (2025): Selbstständige Handwerkerinnen als (werdende) Mütter – Ergebnisse einer NRW-weiten Befragung. (IfM-Materialien / Institut für Mittelstandsforschung Bonn 311), Bonn, 46 S.

Abstract

"Diese Studie richtet sich auf die beruflichen Folgen der Schwanger- und Mutterschaft von selbstständigen Handwerkerinnen in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Die Befunde zeigen, dass die Mehrheit der Handwerkerinnen, die während der Selbstständigkeit Mutter geworden sind, keine Form von Lohnersatzleistungen aus der gesetzlichen oder privaten Krankenversicherung in Anspruch genommen hat – aus Unwissenheit ob dieser Möglichkeit. Obwohl ein großer Teil der Handwerkerinnen erst kurz vor der Geburt die Arbeit ruhen lässt und diese zeitnah nach der Geburt wieder aufnimmt, erleiden sie deutliche Einbußen beim Umsatz und damit in ihrem Einkommen. Dies ist den notwendigen organisatorischen Maßnahmen rund um die Geburt geschuldet, vornehmlich weil sie ihre Arbeitszeit reduzieren, teils Aufträge ablehnen oder das Unternehmen vorüberhegend ruhen lassen bzw. schließen (müssen). Darüber hinaus führen die Handwerkerinnen in vielen Fällen Tätigkeiten aus, die abhängig Beschäftigten im Rahmen des Mutterschutzgesetzes untersagt wären. Die Mehrheit der selbstständigen Handwerkerinnen hält die E" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Piolatto, Matteo, Marija Bashevska, Olga Leshchenko, Chantal Remery & Susanne Strauss (2025): The gendered division of housework in times of Covid-19: the role of essential worker status and work location. In: Journal of family studies, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/13229400.2025.2526468

Abstract

"The question whether the measures taken to curb the spread of Covid-19 exacerbated or reduced gender inequality with respect to the division of housework and childcare has initiated a large number of studies. This study adds to this field by investigating the role of an until now underexposed yet important element in the literature on the pandemic, which is the assignment of an essential worker status for one or two partners of a couple. Drawing on resource theory, we formulate different hypotheses on how an essential worker status impacts the gendered division of housework during the early phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in dual-earner opposite-sex couples. In addition, as essential work was often, but not always done on-site, we use the time availability perspective to formulate hypotheses on how the impact of being assigned the essential work status interacts with remote-work. We investigate these research questions in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands using household longitudinal panel data from UKHLS and COGIS-LISS, applying panel fixed effects models. The results suggest that having an essential occupation is a resource for women but not men to renegotiate the division of housework. This is particularly the case when one or both partners can work from home." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Poli, Silvia De (2025): Can Dad Take Over? Effects of Paternity Leave on Relationship Stability and Employment. (FBK-IRVAPP working paper / Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies 2025-03), Trient, 31 S.

Abstract

"This paper assesses how extending paternity leave duration in Spain affects labour market outcomes and relationship stability. By combining administrative data from different sources, this study provides both descriptive and causal evidence of the effectiveness of the reform. First, we show that having a child substantially increases the gender employment gap between fathers and mothers by about 20 percentage points. Yet, between 2016 and 2021, when the duration of paternity leave gradually increased from two to sixteen weeks, this gap decreased by five percentage points. Second, using a regression discontinuity design, we analyse the causal effect of the 2018 reform, which introduced an additional week of leave for fathers that, for the first time, could be taken independently of the mother's leave. Although we do not find robust evidence of an effect on the labour market, we show that the reform increased the stability of the relationship among couples where the mother was employed before childbirth. From a policy perspective, our findings suggest that extending paternity leave could have important implications in balancing family responsibilities and mitigating relationship conflicts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Reaves, John, Hope O. Akaeze, Holli A. Schlukebir, Steven R. Miller, Henry O. Akaeze & Jamie Heng-Chieh Wu (2025): More Care, More Workers? Gauging the Impact of Child Care Access on Labor Force Participation. In: Social Sciences, Jg. 14, H. 8. DOI:10.3390/socsci14080458

Abstract

"This study investigates the critical link between child care accessibility and local labor force participation, addressing a gap in current research that often lacks local spatial granularity. While over half of the U.S. population resides in child care deserts, disproportionately affecting rural, low-income, and minority communities, the economic implications for local labor markets remain underexplored. Leveraging Michigan child care license data and Census tract-level demographic and employment characteristics, this research employs a spatial econometric approach to estimate the impact of geographic distance to child care facilities on labor supply using descriptive data. Our findings consistently demonstrate that increased distance to child care is significantly associated with reduced labor force participation. While female labor force participation is lower in areas with constrained access to child care, we also found that households with two parents are also less likely to have full labor force participation when access to child care is constrained. The cost-effective framework used here can be replicated to identify specific communities most impacted by child care-related employment disruptions. The analytical findings can be instrumental in targeting and prioritizing child care policy interventions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sakamoto, Ryo (2025): Effects of Childcare Policies on Fertility and Maternal Labor Supply: Focus on Endogenous Gender Power Within Households. In: Journal of Public Economic Theory, Jg. 27, H. 4. DOI:10.1111/jpet.70052

Abstract

"Previous studies have shown inconsistent results on the effects of the provision of childcare services on fertility and maternal labor supply. This study builds a dynamic collective labor supply model to analyze the effect of the increased availability of childcare services on fertility and maternal labor supply. Our model features the endogenous intrahousehold bargaining power of each household member and the power of each to veto having children. We find that intrahousehold bargaining power is a key determinant of whether the childcare policy is effective. Using country-level panel data, we confirm the implication derived from our model. That is, the increase in childcare services is positively associated with the employment of mothers with small children only when their intrahousehold bargaining power is sufficiently high. This study's findings suggest the importance of considering intrahousehold bargaining power explicitly when evaluating family policies that intervene in the household's decision-making." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schulz, Wiebke & Gundula Zoch (2025): The Job Task Penalty for Motherhood. In: Journal of Marriage and Family, S. 1-12. DOI:10.1111/jomf.70046

Abstract

"Objective: This study examines how childbirth affects women's job tasks. Background: Motherhood remains a key source of gendered inequalities in the labor market. Yet little is known about how it reshapes women's work content, even though job tasks are critical for job quality, skill development, and long-term career trajectories. Method: Using panel data from the German National Educational Panel Study (2011–2020), we analyze within-person changes in job tasks following childbirth among 1978 women, applying individual fixed-effects models. Results: After childbirth, mothers engage in fewer analytic, complex, and interactive tasks. These reductions are concentrated among those who decrease their working hours, while no differences emerge by occupational mobility or leave duration. Conclusion: The findings support perspectives emphasizing work–family strain rather than explanations based on occupationalmobility or length of leave. Implications: By documenting task-based motherhood penalties, this study highlights a critical yet often overlooked dimension of gendered labor market inequality. The results underscore the need for work–family policies and workplace practices that safeguard not only mothers' labor market participation but also their access to career-enhancing tasks." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Siegert, Christina (2025): The interplay of poverty risk–employment trajectories in couples around the transition to parenthood in Germany. In: Advances in life course research, Jg. 66. DOI:10.1016/j.alcr.2025.100707

Abstract

"The transition to parenthood is a critical period that exacerbates gendered economic inequality, with mothers more likely than their partners to experience employment disruptions and income losses. This study examines individual poverty risk among partnered individuals (N = 1237) in Germany from a life course perspective, analyzing how gendered career patterns around first births between 1992 and 2013 intersect with changes in individual poverty risk, i.e. under the assumption of no income pooling. Applying multichannel sequence analysis (MCSA) to data from the Socio-Economic Panel, the findings reveal substantial heterogeneity in how poverty risk and employment trajectories unfold after childbirth, both by gender and among women. Men’s employment and financial stability remain largely unchanged after parenthood, whereas women’s economic trajectories vary widely. While most women are financially stable before childbirth, their post-birth pathways diverge. Some return to work quickly with minimal poverty risk, while others take extended parental leave and face prolonged risks. A smaller group is persistently vulnerable even before childbirth, with consistently weak labor market attachment. Longer periods of vulnerability may reinforce power imbalances between partners and limit women’s autonomy. Over historical time, the share of women in financially stable trajectories has increased, likely reflecting policy changes that support earlier labor market reintegration. However, a subset of women remains at high risk, particularly those with lower pre-birth earnings. The findings highlight the necessity of long observation periods, as poverty risks evolve beyond the initial years of parenthood and demonstrate the utility of MCSA in describing such dynamics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

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Vandenberg, Zoé (2025): Valuing Care, Closing the Gap. The European Union’s New Approach to the Principle of Equal Pay. In: Femina Politica, Jg. 34, H. 2-2025, S. 32-44. DOI:10.3224/feminapolitica.v34i2.04

Abstract

"The assignment of women to care traverses both reproductive and productive labour and is reported by numerous scientific studies as a determining factor of gender economic inequalities. Even though the principle of pay equity has been enshrined in the treaty since the beginning of European integration, the gender pay gap remains high within the EU. This contribution argues that the persistence of the gender pay gap is due to the principle's limited capacity to adapt to the realities of women's work and ensure the economic recognition of care work. However, this contribution contends that the implementation of the Work-Life Balance Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/1158), scheduled for 2022, and of the Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970), planned for 2026, could represent a pivotal moment in redefining the principle of equal pay. These directives provide concrete tools to address the root causes of structural economic inequalities, leveraging social and procedural rights to reinforce the principle of equal pay and strengthen protections for carers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ziegler, Lennart & Omar Bamieh (2025): Does a flexible parental leave system stimulate maternal employment? In: Labour Economics, Jg. 95. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102762

Abstract

"While many women stop working for an extended period after the birth of a child, well-designed parental leave policies can incentivize mothers to return to the labor market sooner. This study examines the effect of two recent parental leave reforms in Austria that allow parents to choose leave schemes with varying duration. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that the introduction of more flexible scheme choices led mothers to take, on average, 1-2 months less of leave. This decrease in leave duration, however, was not accompanied by an employment increase of similar magnitude. To understand the absence of labor supply effects, we examine data on work preferences from the Austrian Microcensus. Child care duties are cited as the primary reason for not seeking work but few mothers indicate that they would start working if better access to formal childcare were available. Switching to the more flexible leave system had a minimal effect on the labor market choices of mothers, as the majority continue to prioritize child care responsibilities and do not consider nurseries as a desirable alternative. Our findings suggest that policy efforts to shorten parental leave may not be effective in the presence of strong family norms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Publishedby Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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(2025): Gleichstellung in der sozial-ökologischen Transformation. Gutachten für den Vierten Gleichstellungsbericht der Bundesregierung. (Verhandlungen des Deutschen Bundestages. Drucksachen 20/15105 Vierter), Berlin, 259 S.

Abstract

"Der Vierte Gleichstellungsbericht widmet sich dem Klimawandel und Klimapolitiken in Deutschland unter dem Aspekt der Geschlechtergerechtigkeit. Die Sachverständigen waren beauftragt Ursachen und Auswirkungen des Klimawandels sowie Auswirkungen umwelt- und klimapolitischer Maßnahmen auf die Geschlechterverhältnisse darzustellen, Empfehlungen zur gleichstellungsorientierten Gestaltung der ökologischen Transformation zu erarbeiten, und Empfehlungen zu Strukturen, Instrumenten und institutionellen Mechanismen für eine an Art. 3 Abs. 2 und 3 Grundgesetz orientierte Gleichstellungs-, Umwelt- und Klimapolitik zu entwickeln. Die von Bundesgleichstellungsministerin Lisa Paus im März 2023 berufene Sachverständigenkommission übergab ihr Gutachten Anfang Januar 2025 an die Ministerin. Dieses wurde Anfang März 2025 veröffentlicht. Am 12. März 2025 beschloss das Bundeskabinett die Stellungnahme der Bundesregierung zum Vierten Gleichstellungsbericht, die zusammen mit dem Gutachten als Gleichstellungsbericht veröffentlicht wurde (Bundestags-Drucksache 20/15105). Der Bericht wurde anschließend dem Bundestag und dem Bundesrat vorgelegt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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(2025): Gender Equality Index 2024: Sustaining momentum on a fragile path. (Gender equality index ...), Vilnius, 118 S. DOI:10.2839/9523460

Abstract

"Since 2010, the Gender Equality Index has set a benchmark for equality between women and men to guide decision-makers on policies and goals for a more balanced and inclusive society across the EU by highlighting what is working and where, and what is not working. Chapter 1 presents the results of the Gender Equality Index 2024, along with key trends since the 2023 edition and between 2010 and 2022. A convergence analysis reveals diverse progress patterns at the national level while providing a broader context for Index findings. Chapters 2–8 summarise the policy context, the EU and country scores in key Index domains and how these scores link to violence against women. An intersectional approach exposes different layers of inequality across domains." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2025): Gender Equality in a Changing World. Taking Stock and Moving Forward. (Gender Equality at Work), Paris: OECD Publishing, 311 S. DOI:10.1787/e808086f-en

Abstract

"Despite significant progress over the last century, women still fare worse than men in most economic, social and political outcomes in EU and OECD countries. Drawing on novel data and using a lifecycle approach, this report presents a comprehensive stocktaking of how women, men, girls and boys are faring across seven key policy areas – education and skills, paid and unpaid work, leadership and representation, health, gender-based violence, the green transition and the digital transitions. The challenges are significant. Recognising that closing gender gaps requires serious and co-ordinated policy commitments and actions, this report presents countries’ good practices in gender mainstreaming, encourages breaking down silos, and identifies useful policy combinations to advance gender equality. A conceptual framework is included for governments seeking to assess their own legal, policy and budgetary measures, to help countries transform gender equality commitments into action." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aragonès, Enriqueta (2024): Family Restrictions at Work. (Barcelona GSE working paper series 1429), Barcelona, 24 S.

Abstract

"This paper analizes the discrimination that individuals face at work due to their commitment to unpaid care work. The formal model presents a parametrization of the discrimination that affects the individual's optimal labor market participation. The welfare of individuals with commitment to family duties is reduced for two different reasons: for not being able to participate as much in the labor market and thus receive a lower labor income, and for not being able to contribute as much to their family commitments. We compare the results for the female and male sections of the society and we illustrate the observed gender gaps in terms of labor market participation, income levels, and overall utility obtained. We find that even though the gender wage gap may be alleviated with reductions of the cost associated to unpaid care work, the gender utility gap will persist." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Arnemann, Laura, Lukas Riedel & Holger Stichnoth (2024): Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede bei Einkommen und Erwerbsbeteiligung, wichtige Einflussfaktoren und Ereignisse. Forschungsbericht im Rahmen des Siebten Armuts- und Reichtumsberichts. Mannheim, 120 S.

Abstract

"Der vorliegende Bericht legt geschlechts- und kohortenspezifische Altersprofile von Erwerbseinkommen und Beschäftigung vor, analysiert Einflussfaktoren auf diese Profile (Bildung, Kinderzahl, Migrationshintergrund, Wohnort in Ost- oder Westdeutschland), untersucht die Auswirkungen (erwerbs-)biografischer Ereignisse (Geburt des ersten Kindes, Scheidung, Arbeitslosigkeit, Erwerbsminderung/Schwerbehinderung) auf Erwerbseinkommen und Beschäftigung und arbeitet in einer Lebensverlaufsbetrachtung typische Verläufe der Einkommen, gemessen an der alters- und jahresspezifischen Position in der Einkommensverteilung, sowie die Verteilung der kumulierten Erwerbseinkommen im Alter von 20 bis 45, differenziert nach Geschlecht, Kohorte und weiteren Merkmalen, heraus. Datengrundlage sind das Sozio-oekonomische Panel und die Stichprobe der Integrierten Arbeitsmarktbiografien." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Artmann, Elisabeth (2024): Jobcenter-Betreuung von Alleinerziehenden im Vergleich zu Eltern in Paarbedarfsgemeinschaften. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 03/2024), Nürnberg, 44 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2403

Abstract

"Alleinerziehende müssen die Doppelbelastung bewältigen, ohne Unterstützung eines Partners im Haushalt für den Familienunterhalt und die Kinderbetreuung zu sorgen, weshalb sie als Bevölkerungsgruppe mit besonderem sozialpolitischen Unterstützungsbedarf gelten. Rund ein Drittel der Alleinerziehenden-Haushalte mit minderjährigen Kindern war im Jahr 2022 auf Grundsicherungsleistungen angewiesen, während nur 6,3 Prozent der Paarhaushalte mit minderjährigen Kindern Leistungen bezog. Der vorliegende Forschungsbericht untersucht deshalb anhand von Befragungsdaten des Panels „Arbeitsmarkt und soziale Sicherung” für die Jahre 2008 bis 2021 deskriptiv, wie alleinerziehende Mütter im Vergleich zu Müttern und Vätern in Paarbedarfsgemeinschaften von den Jobcentern betreut werden, welche Förder- und Beratungsangebote sie erhalten und wie sie die Jobcenter-Betreuung bewerten. Dabei werden ausschließlich Erziehende im Grundsicherungsbezug betrachtet, die nicht sozialversicherungspflichtig beschäftigt sind. Ein Vergleich dieser Elterngruppen zeigt zunächst, dass Alleinerziehende im Durchschnitt weniger und ältere Kinder haben als Eltern in Paar-BGs. Zudem hat ein hoher Anteil aller drei Elterngruppen keinen Berufsabschluss, wobei dieser Anteil bei den Alleinerziehenden aber etwas geringer ist als bei den Eltern in Paarhaushalten. In der Regel sind Grundsicherungsbeziehende zur Arbeitssuche verpflichtet, um ihren Leistungsbezug zu reduzieren oder zu beenden. Allerdings gibt es mehrere Ausnahmen von dieser Pflicht. Alleinerziehende sind ihren eigenen Angaben nach insgesamt signifikant häufiger zur Arbeitssuche verpflichtet als Mütter in Paarhaushalten, aber seltener als Väter. Eine wichtige Rolle spielt hier das Alter des jüngsten Kindes, denn die Jobcenter-Betreuung Alleinerziehender ähnelt der der Mütter in Paarhaushalten, wenn ein Kleinkind zu betreuen ist, aber der der Väter, wenn das jüngste Kind mindestens drei bis fünf Jahre alt ist. Im Beobachtungszeitraum ist der Anteil der Personen, der zur Arbeitssuche verpflichtet ist, in allen Elterngruppen rückläufig, was an der sich verändernden Zusammensetzung der Gruppe der Leistungsbeziehenden liegen könnte. In den bis 2020 erhobenen Befragungswellen haben nur wenige Eltern keinen Kontakt zum Jobcenter und die Mehrheit der Eltern mit Verpflichtung zur Arbeitssuche wird vom Jobcenter beschäftigungsorientiert beraten. In der im Jahr 2021 erhobenen Welle zeigen sich die Auswirkungen der Covid-19-Pandemie, denn der Anteil der Personen ohne Kontakt zum Jobcenter steigt bei allen Elterngruppen sprunghaft an und ein geringerer Anteil der Leistungsbeziehenden wird ausführlich beraten. Liegt nach eigenen Angaben der befragten Personen eine Befreiung von der Suchverpflichtung vor, so gibt die Mehrheit der Mütter als Grund Kinderbetreuungspflichten an. Bei Vätern in Paarhaushalten sind die häufigsten Freistellungsgründe hingegen gesundheitliche Probleme und Ausbildung. Betrachtet man die Förderangebote, die Jobcenter-Mitarbeitende den arbeitsuchenden Leistungsbeziehenden unterbreiten, zeigt sich, dass Alleinerziehende insgesamt ähnlich und zum Teil sogar intensiver gefördert werden als Eltern in Paarbedarfsgemeinschaften. So werden ihnen im Vergleich zu Müttern in Paarbedarfsgemeinschaften signifikant häufiger eine sozialversicherungspflichtige Stelle oder Ausbildung sowie Aktivierungs- oder Vermittlungsgutscheine angeboten; im Vergleich zu Vätern wird ihnen öfter ein Minijob angeboten. Vätern werden hingegen häufiger Weiterbildungen, Umschulungen und Integrations- oder Deutschkurse angeboten als (alleinerziehenden) Müttern, wobei dies zum Teil am höheren (Sprach-)Förderbedarf der Väter liegen könnte. Jobcenter-Mitarbeitende können Leistungsbeziehende auch an externe Beratungsstellen verweisen, wenn dies für die Erwerbsintegration erforderlich ist. Von den drei betrachteten Beratungsarten besteht der größte Bedarf an einer gesundheitlichen Begutachtung zur Eignungsfeststellung und an einer Schuldnerberatung, während der Bedarf an Suchtberatungen niedrig ist. Bei allen Elterngruppen, vor allem aber bei den Vätern, ist der ungedeckte Bedarf an den entsprechenden Beratungen jedoch etwas höher als der gedeckte Bedarf. Die Betreuung durch die Jobcenter-Mitarbeitenden des Vermittlungsbereichs wird von allen drei Elterngruppen insgesamt als eher vertrauensvoll und kooperativ bewertet. Die befragten Eltern haben allerdings eher nicht den Eindruck, dass ihnen geholfen wird, eine neue Perspektive zu entwickeln und stimmen auch eher nicht der Aussage zu, dass mit ihnen ausführliche Gespräche zur Verbesserung ihrer Arbeitsmarktchancen geführt werden. (Alleinerziehende) Mütter weisen hier signifikant niedrigere Zustimmungswerte auf als Väter, was auch daran liegen könnte, dass sie öfter von der Suchverpflichtung befreit sind." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Begall, Katia (2024): What (wo)men want? Evidence from a factorial survey on preferred work hours in couples after childbirth. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 40, H. 2, S. 342-356. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcad054

Abstract

"The division of labour remains persistently gendered, in particular among couples with children. Previous research shows that women’s lower economic resources are an important factor driving these inequalities, but because gender and (relative) earnings are highly correlated in male–female couples, their relative importance is difficult to disentangle with observational data. Using a factorial survey conducted among approximately 700 employed men and women of childbearing age in Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, the contribution of relative earnings and gender in explaining work-care divisions in couples with children is disentangled. The results show that men and women do not differ in their preferences for their own work hours after childbirth, but both prefer the father to work more hours than the mother. Moreover, the combination of own and partners’ preferred hours shows that men and women in all three countries prefer a modified male-breadwinner model after childbirth in scenarios where the male partner earns more or partners have equal earnings. Preferences for egalitarian divisions of labour appear to be slightly stronger in men compared to women and respondents with more egalitarian views on care tasks show less gender-specialization." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bister, Lara, Peter Eibich & Roberta Rutigliano (2024): Who is affected by parental leave reforms? Women's selection into different parental leave lengths across recent policy reforms in Germany. In: Genus : Journal of Population Sciences, Jg. 80. DOI:10.1186/s41118-024-00221-4

Abstract

"Public parental leave schemes aim to facilitate women’s reconciliation of family and employment after their transition into motherhood. While parental leave policies underwent several reforms over the past decades, adapting to changing female labor market participation and family cultures, the available entitlements are not tailored to women’s individual circumstances and needs. Itremains unclear how these affect the women’s parental leave uptake, particularly the leave length. In this paper, we followed an exploratory and descriptive approach to study the selection of women into different parental leave lengths with changing public parental leave entitlements in Germany and according to their individual characteristics. We use data from the German Statutory Pension Fund on 29,001 women born between 1955 and 1984 who had their first child between 1991 and 2016 at the ages 20–39. We estimate linear regression and discrete-time proportional hazard models to examine associations between women’s characteristics and their length of leave. We identify the effects of two major parental leave reforms in Germany in 1992 and 2007 in a Regression Discontinuity Design. Our results show that the general extension of available parental leave entitlements in 1992 increased the likelihood of women’s parental leave uptake between 25 and 36 months. For women who became mothers at an older age, had a high income before transitioning into motherhood, or with higher education; however, the likelihood of parental leave uptake of 2 months increased. The reform of 2007 led to an increased likelihood of leave uptake longer than 2 months for these women. These findings suggest that women with a higher labor market attachment have responded more strongly to the changes in parental leave benefits in Germany." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bogusz, Honorata (2024): Task content of jobs and mothers’ employment transitions in Germany. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 58. DOI:10.1186/s12651-024-00384-9

Abstract

"I study the association between task content of jobs and mothers’ employment transitions after the first birth in Germany. I construct measures of task content of jobs using data from the Employment Survey conducted by the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BiBB). These indicators illustrate the career cost of children and how it is impacted by the technology- and globalization-driven labor market change. The measures are then linked to high-quality individual register data from the German Pension Fund (FDZ-RV) covering the years 2012–2020. Utilizing competing risk models, I show that women engaged in occupations with analytic and interactive task content, which are in high demand and incompatible with maternity-related employment breaks, are the most likely to transition to employment after their first birth. Conversely, women with occupations intense in routine tasks, which are more susceptible to automation or trade competition, are more likely to experience unemployment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Boneva, Teodora, Marta Golin, Katja Kaufmann & Christopher Rauh (2024): Beliefs About Maternal Labor Supply. (CRC TR 224 discussion paper series / EPoS Collaborative Research Center Transregio 224 517), Bonn, 86 S.

Abstract

"We provide representative evidence on the perceived returns to maternal labor supply. A mother's decision to work is perceived to have sizable impacts on child skills, family outcomes, and the mother's future labor market outcomes. Beliefs about the impact of additional household income can account for some, but not all, of the perceived positive effects. Perceived returns are predictive of labor supply intentions under different policy scenarios related to childcare availability and quality, two factors that are also perceived as important. An information experiment reveals that providing information about benefits of mothers working causally affects labor supply intentions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))