Gender und Arbeitsmarkt
Das Themendossier "Gender und Arbeitsmarkt" bietet wissenschaftliche und politiknahe Veröffentlichungen zu den Themen Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen und Männern, Müttern und Vätern, Berufsrückkehrenden, Betreuung/Pflege und Arbeitsteilung in der Familie, Work-Life-Management, Determinanten der Erwerbsbeteiligung, geschlechtsspezifische Lohnunterschiede, familien- und steuerpolitische Regelungen sowie Arbeitsmarktpolitik für Frauen und Männer.
Mit dem Filter „Autorenschaft“ können Sie auf IAB-(Mit-)Autorenschaft eingrenzen.
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Männern
- Kinderbetreuung und Pflege
- Berufliche Geschlechtersegregation
- Berufsrückkehr – Wiedereinstieg in den Arbeitsmarkt
- Dual-Career-Couples
- Work-Life
- Geschlechtsspezifische Lohnunterschiede
- Familienpolitische Rahmenbedingungen
- Aktive/aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- Arbeitslosigkeit und passive Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- geografischer Bezug
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Literaturhinweis
Geschlechtergerecht gestalten: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik (2026)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
Einleitung: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen einer geschlechtergerechten Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik (2026)
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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Literaturhinweis
Gender Norms and the Labor Market (2026)
Zitatform
Cortés, Patricia, Jisoo Hwang, Jessica Pan & Uta Schönberg (2026): Gender Norms and the Labor Market. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 34716), Cambridge, Mass, 42 S.
Abstract
"Despite substantial convergence in men's and women's economic roles, gender gaps in labor market outcomes persist across countries. This article provides a unified framework for understanding how gender norms shape economic behavior, distinguishing between internalized norms—preferences and beliefs tied to gender identity—and external norms arising from peer pressure and social coordination. We first document cross-country and within-country variation in gender attitudes, alongside gradual but uneven shifts toward more egalitarian views. We then review empirical evidence on the origins, persistence, and transmission of gender norms, and their effects on human capital accumulation, labor supply, wages, and policy take-up. The review highlights both the durability of gender norms and the mechanisms through which policies, institutions, and media can induce norm change, with implications for the design of effective interventions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
Beteiligte aus dem IAB
Schönberg, Uta; -
Literaturhinweis
Does Gender Ideology Matter? Pre-pandemic Gender Role Attitudes and the Division of Housework and Childcare During COVID-19 in Germany (2026)
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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Literaturhinweis
Nonstandard work schedules and work-life balance in dual-earner households: The role of parenthood (2026)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
Motherhood and Systemic Gender Pay Gap Faced by Women in European Union Countries (2026)
Zitatform
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, S. 1-19. 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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Literaturhinweis
Joint search over the life cycle (2025)
Zitatform
Bacher, Annika, Philipp Grübener & Lukas Nord (2025): Joint search over the life cycle. In: Journal of monetary economics, Jg. 150. DOI:10.1016/j.jmoneco.2024.103696
Abstract
"This paper provides evidence that the added worker effect – labor force entry upon spousal job loss – is stronger for young than old households. Using a life cycle model of two-member households in a frictional labor market, we study whether this age-dependency is driven by heterogeneous needs for or availability of spousal insurance. Our framework endogenizes asset and human capital accumulation, as well as arrival rates of job offers, and is disciplined against U.S. micro data. Counterfactuals show a strong complementarity across both margins: A large added worker effect requires both high spousal earnings potential relative to the primary earner and limited access to other means of self-insurance. Together, both margins account for the observed age differential in the added worker effect. The model predicts substantial crowding out of spousal labor supply responses by unemployment benefit extensions among young households, in line with their stronger insurance motive." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 The Authors.Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Household chores, taxes, and the labor-supply elasticities of women and men (2025)
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Bahn, Dorothée, Christian Bredemeier & Falko Juessen (2025): Household chores, taxes, and the labor-supply elasticities of women and men. (Ruhr economic papers 1177), Essen, 46 S. DOI:10.4419/96973362
Abstract
"We study how the division of household chores and individual preferences contribute to gender differences in labor supply elasticities and examine the implications for optimal taxation. In a model of labor supply in dual-earner households, we show that elasticities and optimal income tax rates depend jointly on gender and the within-household allocation of chores. Using PSID data, we find that chore division substantially affects labor supply elasticities, whereas gender per se plays a smaller role. We then evaluate how well simple, feasible tax rules can approximate the optimal within-household tax structure. Gender-based taxation captures a sizable share of the potential efficiency gains, but gender-neutral rules with realistic levels of progressivity perform better." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
When Mothers Out-Earn Fathers: Effects on Fathers' Decisions to Take Paternity and Parental Leave (2025)
Zitatform
Biasi, Paola, Maria De Paola & Francesca Gioia (2025): When Mothers Out-Earn Fathers: Effects on Fathers' Decisions to Take Paternity and Parental Leave. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17601), Bonn, 36 S.
Abstract
"This study investigates the influence of the male breadwinner norm on fathers' decisions regarding childcare responsibilities. We study the complex interplay between economic factors and gender norms in shaping the division of household labor within families by analyzing the impact a breadwinning mother has on fathers' choices regarding paternity leave (fully subsidized) and parental leave (partially or not subsidized). We exploit administrative data, provided by the Italian National Security Institute (INPS), including demographic and working characteristics of both parents together with information on the use of paternity and parental leave by fathers in the 2013-2023 period. We find that, in line with the "doing gender" hypothesis, when the leave is fully subsidized, as for paternity leave, fathers are less likely to engage in childcare when their wives earn more than they do. In contrast, this dynamic does not apply in cases of parental leave, where the economic costs of aligning with the gender norm are substantial. The effects we find are robust when replacing the actual probability of there being an out-earning mother with the potential probability and are amplified by the salience of the gender identity norm." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Who can work when, and why do we have to care? Education, care demands, and the gendered division of work schedules in France and Germany (2025)
Zitatform
Deuflhard, Carolin & Jeanne Ganault (2025): Who can work when, and why do we have to care? Education, care demands, and the gendered division of work schedules in France and Germany. In: Journal of Marriage and Family, Jg. 87, H. 4, S. 1618-1638. DOI:10.1111/jomf.13085
Abstract
"Objective: This article investigates how education and the presence and age of children shape gendered work schedule arrangements among couples in France and Germany. Background: Despite the prevalence of nonstandard work schedules, schools and daycare facilities typically operate during standard work hours. Nevertheless, little is known on the gendered division of work schedules. Both France and Germany have shifted toward labor market deregulation, favoring the concentration of nonstandard schedules in lower-class jobs. However, France provides full-day public education and care. In Germany, public childcare is less comprehensive, and daycare and school hours are considerably shorter. Method: The study uses sequence and cluster analysis on time-use data (N = 11,268 days) to identify typical work schedules. Multinomial logistic regressions assess how education and the presence and age of children are associated with men's and women's types of days. Results: In both countries, less-educated men were more likely to work shifts, whereas less-educated women were more likely to not be employed. However, standard work schedules prevailed among better-educated French men and women, whereas partial workdays and non-workdays predominated among German women. Conclusion: In both labor market contexts, less-educated partnered women rather than men seem to opt out of employment due to scheduling conflicts between work and care. However, more work-facilitating family policies allow for more gender-equal schedules among better-educated men and women in France." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Spousal spillovers in the labor market: A structural assessment (2025)
Zitatform
Galaasen, Sigurd M. & Herman Kruse (2025): Spousal spillovers in the labor market: A structural assessment. In: Review of Economic Dynamics, Jg. 58. DOI:10.1016/j.red.2025.101300
Abstract
"We explore the importance and nature of elderly couples' labor market interlinkages, and how such linkages shape the response to welfare reforms. To this end, we develop a life-cycle model featuring dual-earner households with heterogeneous age gaps, non-separable leisure preferences, and endogenous retirement. To inform key preference parameters, our calibration exploits quasi-experimental evidence of spousal retirement spillovers from a pension reform in Norway. We show that the experimental evidence is highly informative about the degree of non-separability of leisure and that a substantial level of complementarity is required to match the data. Using our calibrated model, we find that the commonly observed tendency of couples to retire together, despite considerable age-gap heterogeneity, can be entirely explained by leisure complementarities. Moreover, comparing to a model with leisure separability reveals that one-third of the long-run labor supply effect of the pension reform is attributed to complementarity. This illustrates the importance of accounting for interdependent decisions when evaluating policy reforms." (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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Literaturhinweis
Do you really want to share everything? The well-being of work-linked couples (2025)
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Hennecke, Juliane & Clemens Hetschko (2025): Do you really want to share everything? The well-being of work-linked couples. In: Oxford economic papers, Jg. 77, H. 2, S. 516-536. DOI:10.1093/oep/gpae036
Abstract
"Work and family life are crucial sources of human well-being, which, however, often interfere. Our analysis focuses on the specific case of couples that work in the same industry and occupation. Based on the economic theory of assortative matching, we argue that such a work link may foster career success and therefore well-being. Our study examines satisfaction differences between work-linked and non-work-linked partners using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. We estimate the effects of working in the same occupation and/or industry as one’s partner on life satisfaction and satisfaction in four areas of life: income, work, family, and leisure. Being work-linked is positively associated with income satisfaction and might also slightly improve life satisfaction. High-skilled couples seem to benefit in particular. We also find that work-linked couples enjoy higher levels of income and job autonomy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Couples' division of paid work and rising income inequality: A study of 21 OECD countries (2025)
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Herzberg-Druker, Efrat (2025): Couples' division of paid work and rising income inequality: A study of 21 OECD countries. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 99. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2025.101084
Abstract
"Numerous scholars have explored the association between women's changing employment patterns and the changing income inequality in recent decades. While most studies indicate that increased women's employment reduces household inequality, a few suggest the opposite effect. This research investigated whether shifts in the division of paid work (i.e., changes in the working hours) among heterosexual couples, as compared to changes in women's work alone, contribute to changes in income inequality. It also examined whether the selection of couples into the different types of division of paid work based on their level of education is a mechanism underlying the growing inequality. Based on counterfactual analyses of data from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS), encompassing 21 OECD countries, the findings demonstrate shifts in couples' division of paid work, particularly the increase in fulltime dual-earner households, are associated with rising income inequality in most countries studied. However, changes in educational attainment were not found to be the mechanism underlying the association between changes in couples' division of paid work and changes in income inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Status Seeking and Work-Family Conflicts: How the Pursuit of Wealth and Success Threatens Family Peace in 26 Countries (2025)
Zitatform
Hess, Stephanie & Christian Schneickert (2025): Status Seeking and Work-Family Conflicts: How the Pursuit of Wealth and Success Threatens Family Peace in 26 Countries. In: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Jg. 46, H. 1, S. 146-166. DOI:10.1007/s10834-024-09982-8
Abstract
"This paper takes a cross-national perspective and examines the association between the individual disposition to pursue wealth and success (status seeking) and work–family conflicts. We use data from the 2010 European Social Survey on more than 15,000 individuals from 26 countries who were of working age and living in families with children. The sample selection followed a stratified random sampling strategy and data were collected via computer-assisted personal interviews and pen and pencil interviews administered by trained interview personnel. Employing pooled and comparative single-country regression analyses as well as correlational analyses at the macro-level of countries, our results show that status seeking is related to higher levels of work–family conflict but that the strength of association is vastly different across countries. This individual-level effect is mainly driven by job characteristics and less so by socio-demographics in most of the countries studied. At the country level, better conditions for work and family reconciliation provided by welfare states dampen the effect of ambitiousness on work–family conflict, but only marginally. Interestingly, national wealth (GDP) strengthens the association, while differences in income inequality (Gini coefficient) among countries are not relevant in this regard. Our results highlight the need for a cross-national perspective when determining the antecedents of work–family conflicts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Working-time flexibility among European couples (2025)
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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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Literaturhinweis
Singles, Couples, and Their Labor Supply: Long-Run Trends and Short-Run Fluctuations (2025)
Olsson, Jonna;Zitatform
Olsson, Jonna (2025): Singles, Couples, and Their Labor Supply: Long-Run Trends and Short-Run Fluctuations. In: American Economic Journal. Macroeconomics, Jg. 17, H. 1, S. 1-34. DOI:10.1257/mac.20200449
Abstract
"Women's increased involvement in the economy has been an important change in labor markets during the past century. I show that a macroeconomic model taking into account gender and household composition in an otherwise parsimonious off-the-shelf setting captures key historical labor supply facts regarding trend and volatility across subgroups. Evaluating the economy's response to aggregate shocks at different points in time shows that the underlying trend growth in married women's employment contributed to the perceived quick employment recoveries after recessions before 1990, and the absence of growth thereafter consequently helps explain the more recent slower recoveries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The flexibility paradox and spatial-temporal dimensions of COVID-19 remote work adaptation among dual-earner mothers and fathers (2025)
Zitatform
Parry, Ashley (2025): The flexibility paradox and spatial-temporal dimensions of COVID-19 remote work adaptation among dual-earner mothers and fathers. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 32, H. 1, S. 15-36. DOI:10.1111/gwao.13130
Abstract
"There is an increased blurring of work and home life in contemporary society due to access to technology and the mass expansion of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Flexible working arrangements like remote work can lead to men self-exploiting themselves in the workplace and women self-exploiting themselves in the domestic sphere in the context of a work-centric society that is reliant upon passion at work and traditional gender norms. This study extends Chung's ideas on gendered patterns in the flexibility paradox by examining spatial-temporal dimensions of COVID-19 remote work adaptation among an extreme sample: dual-earner parents with young children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on Zoom with 20 mothers and 17 fathers working from home in the U.S. with children ages 5 and under between the summer of 2020 and the spring of 2021. Findings indicate that fathers' work is prioritized in spatio-temporal terms whereas mothers' work is fragmented and dispersed. Gendered patterns in the flexibility paradox and labor shouldered by mothers as primary caregivers are considered as potential theoretical explanations for the privileging of fathers' workspace and work time." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
What Makes a Decision Fair? Relative Earnings, Gender, and Justifications for Couples’ Decision-Making (2025)
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Pepin, Joanna R. & William J. Scarborough (2025): What Makes a Decision Fair? Relative Earnings, Gender, and Justifications for Couples’ Decision-Making. In: American journal of sociology, Jg. 130, H. 6, S. 1435-1476. DOI:10.1086/735618
Abstract
"This article builds on research demonstrating that inequality is widely accepted when it resultsfrom practices that are perceived to be fair. Using a survey experiment on a nationally representative sample of US adults (n = 3,978), the study adds new insight into the mechanisms that sustain gender inequality in relationships. Findings show that Americans’ beliefs About gender are relied on more often than economic explanations to diminish concerns aboutunfairness in decision-making. Respondents were more likely to view decisions as fair when made by women, even though respondents often drew on seemingly gender-neutral allocationrules to justify decision-making. Topic modeling of open-ended explanations also exposed howbeliefs about gender are incorporated into fairness perceptions in ways that sustain men’sauthority. The authors argue that the empirical patterns underpinning subjective perceptions offairness are fundamental to understanding the persistence of inequality in gendered divisions ofcognitive, emotional, and domestic labor." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The gendered division of housework in times of Covid-19: the role of essential worker status and work location (2025)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
Post-pandemic remote work and the Italian care model: constraint or opportunity? (2025)
Zitatform
Recchi, Sara, Anne-Iris Romens & Gemma Scalise (2025): Post-pandemic remote work and the Italian care model: constraint or opportunity? In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 45, H. 13/14, S. 19-33. DOI:10.1108/ijssp-10-2024-0497
Abstract
"Purpose: Building on Mary Daly’s typology of care policies, this article explores whether and to what extent remote work in post-pandemic times is still considered a tool to cope with the limits of care measures, despite the exit from the emergency phase. We argue that in countries characterized by a familialistic care regime, such as Italy, there is a risk that the adoption of remote work may be distorted by limited conciliation tools and care provisions and fosters gender inequalities. Design/methodology/approach The article is based on a case study on Milan, which is an interesting context for multiple reasons. Italy is characterised by limited conciliation tools, weak childcare provisions and significant gender inequalities in the labor market, but in Milan female employment is well above the national average and remote work is more widespread. The research is qualitatively driven, as it is built upon interviews with remote workers, HR managers and union officials. These data are completed with a survey that involved 285 remote workers. Findings Remote work continues to be used by parents as a substitute tool to compensate for underdeveloped public care services and employment-related provisions. Moreover, this practice affects gender inequalities, as women are more inclined to perform their tasks remotely overtime and in spaces not dedicated to work. Originality/value While several studies have stressed the impact of remote work on work-life balance and the unequal gender distribution of care work during the pandemic, there is little knowledge about what is happening in the post-pandemic period." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Career Paths with a Two-Body Problem: Colocation and Gendered Professional Crossroads (2025)
Zitatform
Rueda, Valeria & Guillaume Wilemme (2025): Career Paths with a Two-Body Problem: Colocation and Gendered Professional Crossroads. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20614), London, 45 S.
Abstract
"Dual-career couples can struggle to balance career growth with finding a location that works for both spouses. We investigate how colocation constraints shape the careers of husbands and wives. We document empirically that, after relocating, wives tend to switch to less rewarding careers. Next, we build a parsimonious job search model in which colocation constraints force couples to sacrifice the career of one spouse. The model generates career switches both before and after relocating, as couples anticipate future career prospects. Replicating the stylised facts, the calibrated model shows that colocation constraints amplify gender gaps in careers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
German Parents Attaining Intrapersonal Work-Family Balance While Implementing the 50/50-Split-Model with Their Partners (2025)
Zitatform
Schaber, Ronja, Tirza Patella, Josefine Simm & Susan Garthus-Niegel (2025): German Parents Attaining Intrapersonal Work-Family Balance While Implementing the 50/50-Split-Model with Their Partners. In: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Jg. 46, H. 1, S. 259-276. DOI:10.1007/s10834-024-09989-1
Abstract
"Work-family balance (WFB) is attained if parents combine work and family roles aligned with their values. For an egalitarian parent aiming to implement a 50/50-split-model, this means sharing paid work, childcare, and housework equally with their partner (involvement balance), performing well in all roles (effective balance), while having positive emotions (emotional balance). This is difficult since work and family are competing for time and attention. Therefore, this article presents resources which can help parents attain WFB within a 50/50-split-model. Quantitative data of n = 1036 couples participating in the Dresden Study on Parenting, Work, and Mental Health (DREAM) were used to calculate the implementation rate of the 50/50-split-model at 14 months postpartum. Quantitative DREAM data were screened to purposively select n = 25 participants implementing a 50/50-split-model for the qualitative study DREAM TALK . Problem-centered interviews were conducted and analyzed via qualitative content analysis. Quantitative results showed a 50/50-split-model implementation rate of 3.8–17.5% among German parents. Qualitative results revealed 14 individual- and eight macro-level resources to facilitate WFB within a 50/50-split-model. Individual-level examples are acknowledging benefits of childcare assistance, segmentation from paid work and controversially, in other situations, integration of paid work and family. Macro-level examples are availability of childcare assistance, of solo paternal leave, paid work < 39 h/week, employee flexibility options, and family-friendly workplace cultures. To conclude, the full potential of individual-level resources applied by parents is attained when supported by macro-level resources provided by politics and employers. Parents, politics, and employers can facilitate WFB within the 50/50-split-model to foster gender equality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
A Room of One's Own. Work from Home and the Gendered Allocation of Time (2025)
Zitatform
Senik, Claudia & Elena Stancanelli (2025): A Room of One's Own. Work from Home and the Gendered Allocation of Time. (Paris-Jourdan Science Economiques. Working paper 2025-13), Paris, 30 S.
Abstract
"The traditional specialization of men in paid work and women in housework is rooted in the spatial separation of these activities. We examine the possible consequences of the recent expansion of Work from Home (WfH) for the gendered allocation of time. We focus on the time devoted to housework by men and women who work from home versus at the workplace, before and after the Covid pandemic. Using data on several thousand workers drawn from the American Time Use Survey, we find that the gender gap in unpaid work has declined by about 27 minutes per day, i.e. by about 40% for remote workers. Among those, women now spend more time on paid work and less on unpaid work, whereas men do more household chores." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Dual-Earner Couples (2025)
Zitatform
Shockley, Kristen M., Winny Shen & Hope Dodd (2025): Dual-Earner Couples. In: Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, Jg. 12, S. 369-394. DOI:10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-110622-053405
Abstract
"In Western societies, most married working employees are now part of a dual-earner couple, meaning both people are engaged in the paid workforce to some extent. Such arrangements introduce benefits as well as challenges in managing two unique work roles and the shared family domain. In this review, we first summarize research about how dual-earner couples manage work and family, including the division of labor, decision-making processes, and specific behavioral strategies. Next, we discuss research on dual-earner couples ’ well-being and quality of life, making explicit comparisons to single-earner couples where possible. We close our review with a discussion of research on the macroenvironment, including how cultural norms and state policies relate to dual-earner couples’ functioning. Lastly, we offer numerous recommendations for future researchers to explore the contexts and conditions that facilitate the blending of dual-earner couples ’ work and family roles." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Dollars and Domestic Duties: A 22‐Year Study of Income, Home Labor, and Gendered Career Outcomes in Dual‐Earner Couples (2025)
Zitatform
Yu, Hyejin, Alexis Nicole Smith & Nikolaos Dimotakis (2025): Dollars and Domestic Duties: A 22‐Year Study of Income, Home Labor, and Gendered Career Outcomes in Dual‐Earner Couples. In: Journal of organizational behavior, Jg. 46, H. 5, S. 662-684. DOI:10.1002/job.2879
Abstract
"Although women's outsized share of household labor and subsequent career disadvantages are well-documented, the impact of income arrangements within dual-earner couples has been underexplored in the context of the work–family dynamic. Drawing upon resource and gender construction theories, we examine how income dynamics within male–female dyads can differentially affect each partner's career success via unpaid home labor. Using multilevel polynomial regression on a longitudinal sample of 7252 dual-earner couples over a 22-year period from the Household, Income, and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, we demonstrate that the interplay of income within these dyads differentially shapes partners' household labor, ultimately influencing female (but not male) career promotion. Specifically, women face a lower likelihood of promotion when in male- and female-breadwinning arrangements compared with dual-breadwinning arrangements with minimal resource differentials, partly due to the increased household labor. Among dual-breadwinning arrangements, we find that female partners have a higher chance of promotion when male partners have similarly high (versus low) income levels, due to reduced household labor. Our supplementary analysis uncovers that work centrality accounts for the gendered impact of household labor on promotion while also illustrating how the effect of income arrangements evolves over 22 years. Overall, our findings provide new revelations on how breadwinning arrangements within couples can reinforce or hinder women's career advancement, while largely leaving men's careers unaffected, through the gendered spillover effect of unpaid household labor." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Decomposing gender wage gaps: a family economics perspective (2024)
Zitatform
Averkamp, Dorothée, Christian Bredemeier & Falko Juessen (2024): Decomposing gender wage gaps: a family economics perspective. In: The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Jg. 126, H. 1, S. 3-37. DOI:10.1111/sjoe.12542
Abstract
"We propose a simple way to embed family-economics arguments for pay differences between genders into standard decomposition techniques. To account appropriately for the role of the family in the determination of wages, one has to compare men and women with similar own characteristics – and with similar partners. In US survey data, we find that our extended decomposition explains considerably more of the wage gap than a standard approach, in line with our theory that highlights the role of career prioritization in dual-earner couples." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Does performance pay increase the risk of marital instability? (2024)
Zitatform
Baktash, Mehrzad B., John S. Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn (2024): Does performance pay increase the risk of marital instability? In: Review of Economics of the Household, S. 1-32. DOI:10.1007/s11150-024-09738-1
Abstract
"This study is the first to systematically examine the association between performance pay and marital instability. Using German survey data on married couples and including an extensive set of controls, we show that performance pay is associated with an increased probability of subsequent separation or divorce. Yet, the results are entirely gender specific. When husbands earn performance pay, no association with marital instability is found. When wives earn performance pay, the association is large and robust. This pattern persists across a variety of modeling choices and holds in instrumental variable estimations accounting for the endogeneity of performance pay. We argue that the pattern fits theoretical expectations and discuss the implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
What (wo)men want? Evidence from a factorial survey on preferred work hours in couples after childbirth (2024)
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))
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Literaturhinweis
There and Back Again: Women's Marginal Commuting Costs (2024)
Zitatform
Bergemann, Annette, Stephan Brunow & Isabel Stockton (2024): There and Back Again: Women's Marginal Commuting Costs. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16890), Bonn, 67 S.
Abstract
"We estimate female and male workers' marginal willingness to pay to reduce commuting distance in Germany, using a partial-equilibrium model of job search with non-wage job attributes. Commuting costs have implications not just for congestion policy, spatial planning and transport infrastructure provision, but are also relevant to our understanding of gender differences in labour market biographies. For estimation, we use a stratified partial likelihood model on a large administrative dataset for West Germany to flexibly account for both unobserved individual heterogeneity and changes dependent on wages and children. We find that an average female childless worker is willing to give up daily €0.27 per kilometre (0.4% of the daily wage) to reduce commuting distance at the margin. The average men's marginal willingness to pay is similar to childless women's over a large range of wages. However, women's marginal willingness to pay more than doubles after the birth of a child contributing substantially to the motherhood wage gap. A married mixed-sex couple's sample indicates that husbands try to avoid commuting shorter distances than their wives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Testing the Income Pooling Hypothesis and its Link to the Taxation of Couple Households: Evidence from Demand System Estimation for Germany (2024)
Zitatform
Beznoska, Martin (2024): Testing the Income Pooling Hypothesis and its Link to the Taxation of Couple Households: Evidence from Demand System Estimation for Germany. In: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Jg. 45, H. 3, S. 687-719. DOI:10.1007/s10834-023-09914-y
Abstract
"Whether couples pool their resources and behave like a unit or spend their income individually is crucial for social and tax policy. In this paper, I provide a test of the income pooling hypothesis using administrative cross-sectional survey data on expenditures and individual incomes of couple households in Germany. The test is performed within the quadratic almost ideal demand system framework, which allows for an endogenous expenditure budget and endogenous individual income contribution shares in an instrumental variables approach. Although perfect income pooling is broadly rejected, there are significant differences regarding the marital status, the presence of at least one child in the household and whether the household is located in a former West or East German federal state. Married and unmarried couples with children are closer to the acceptance of the hypothesis than couples without children. The approach allows to calculate justifiable differentials of the marginal tax rates within the household if income pooling is rejected." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
What Works for Working Couples? Work Arrangements, Maternal Labor Supply, and the Division of Home Production (2024)
Ciasullo, Ludovica; Uccioli, Martina;Zitatform
Ciasullo, Ludovica & Martina Uccioli (2024): What Works for Working Couples? Work Arrangements, Maternal Labor Supply, and the Division of Home Production. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16991), Bonn, 87 S.
Abstract
"We document how a change to work arrangements reduces the child penalty in labor supply for women, and that the consequent more equal distribution of household income does not translate into a more equal division of home production between mothers and fathers. The Australian 2009 Fair Work Act explicitly entitled parents of young children to request a (reasonable) change in work arrangements. Leveraging variation in the timing of the law, timing of childbirth, and the bite of the law across different occupations and industries, we establish three main results. First, the Fair Work Act was used by new mothers to reduce their weekly working hours without renouncing their permanent contract, hence maintaining a regular schedule. Second, with this work arrangement, working mothers’ child penalty declined from a 47 percent drop in hours worked to a 38 percent drop. Third, while this implies a significant shift towards equality in the female- and male-shares of household income, we do not observe any changes in the female (disproportionate) share of home production." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
His and hers earnings trajectories: Economic homogamy and long-term earnings inequality within and between different-sex couples (2024)
Zitatform
Dunatchik, Allison (2024): His and hers earnings trajectories: Economic homogamy and long-term earnings inequality within and between different-sex couples. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 94. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2024.100995
Abstract
"Economic homogamy has important implications for gender inequality and for economic inequalities between households. However, the long-term association between spouses’ earnings is not well understood. This study reconceptualizes economic homogamy as a life course process rather than a static state of being that can be adequately captured at a single point in time. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, I examine the association between spouses’ earnings trajectories over the course of 30 years of marriage to identify three distinct gender egalitarian earnings patterns among couples. 50 % of couples follow a Dual earner pattern, in which spouses follow similar, stable earnings patterns over time, 6 % of couples are Jointly mobile in that spouses’ earnings vary similarly and 5 % follow an Alternating earner pattern. A large minority of couples follow patterns of long-term specialization, with 34 % of couples following male breadwinner patterns and 5 % following Female breadwinner patterns. Multivariate analysis reveals that gender egalitarian earnings patterns are stratified by couples’ socio-economic status at marriage: while advantaged couples follow Dual earner patterns comprised of two stable earners, disadvantaged couples follow egalitarian earnings patterns characterized by joint earnings instability. By taking a long-term approach, this study provides insight into the varied ways gender equality in earnings manifests among married couples and reveals an important and understudied dimension of economic homogamy: the concentration of economic stability and instability within couples." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Do Men Care about Childcare? Women's Relative Resources and Men's Preferences for Work–Family Reconciliation Policies (2024)
Zitatform
Estévez-Abe, Margarita & Tae Hyun Lim (2024): Do Men Care about Childcare? Women's Relative Resources and Men's Preferences for Work–Family Reconciliation Policies. In: Social Politics, Jg. 31, H. 2, S. 321-346. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxae002
Abstract
"Existing literature on the politics of work–family Reconciliation policies focuses primarily on women and their policy preferences as the main driver of recent policy expansions. But what do we know about male preferences? This article explores this question in an innovative way by integrating insights from economic and sociological studies of division of labor and bargaining within the household. It investigates the link between women’s relative resources within the household and their male partners’ preferences for different types of reconciliation policies. Drawing on regression analysis of nineteen OECD countries using the International Social Survey Program data (Family and Changing Gender Roles IV), we find that: (1) men in dual-earner households, men in college-educated educational homogamy, and men in educational hypogamy (the woman is better educated) are more likely to support reconciliation policies; and (2) women’s earnings and education have different effects on men’s preferences." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Becoming a parent: Trajectories of family division of labor in Germany and the United States (2024)
Zitatform
Fan, Wen (2024): Becoming a parent: Trajectories of family division of labor in Germany and the United States. In: Advances in life course research, Jg. 60. DOI:10.1016/j.alcr.2024.100611
Abstract
"The transition to parenthood represents a turning point shaping couples’ arrangements for paid work and housework. Previous studies often examined these changes in isolation, rather than as interrelated trajectories reflecting diverse models of family division of labor. Drawing on data from different-sex couples from the 1984–2019 Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the 1984–2020 German Socio-Economic Panel, this study uses multichannel sequence analysis to identify four and three patterned constellations of family division of labor in the United States and Germany, respectively. These constellations differ in women’s and men’s respective contributions to household earnings and their relative participation in housework, spanning from one year before to ten years after the birth of a first child. National differences are found in the identified constellations, their prevalence, and the role of couples’ conjoint education in shaping these constellations. In both countries, couples in which the husband has an educational advantage are most likely to transition to a traditional arrangement. However, only in the U.S. do couples with both partners holding a college degree also tend to enter a traditional arrangement. Furthermore, among U.S. couples in which the wife has an educational advantage, they are most likely to adopt a partly egalitarian arrangement (equal earnings but not housework) upon becoming parents." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Assortative mating and earnings inequality in South Korea (2024)
Zitatform
Frémeaux, Nicolas, SeEun Jung & Arnaud Lefranc (2024): Assortative mating and earnings inequality in South Korea. In: Journal of Economic Inequality, Jg. 22, H. 1, S. 211-236. DOI:10.1007/s10888-023-09588-4
Abstract
"We analyze economic assortative mating and its contribution to earnings inequality in South Korea from 1998 to 2018. Our analysis is based on cross-sectional and panel data and accounts for several methodological issues, including measurement error and sample selection bias. Despite a very high level of assortativeness in education, Korea exhibits a negative correlation in earnings between spouses due to low female labor force participation and its negative correlation with male earnings. However, the correlation is large and positive for hourly earnings, among dual-earner couples. Cohort analysis reveals significant changes in earnings correlations, as rising female labor force participation offsets slightly declining educational sorting among younger cohorts. As a result, assortative mating contributes to a very limited extent to inequality between households in observed monthly earnings, but accounts for a sizable fraction, around to 15%, of inequality between household in hourly earnings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
A Cohort Replacement of Household Labour Supply in Germany and the UK (2024)
Zitatform
Geffen, Rona (2024): A Cohort Replacement of Household Labour Supply in Germany and the UK. In: Comparative Population Studies, Jg. 49, S. 467-492. DOI:10.12765/cpos-2024-18
Abstract
"In recent decades, fluctuating unemployment rates and welfare state retrenchment have led to increased levels of economic insecurity in some countries. At the same time, cultural norms and family policies have become more gender-egalitarian. While earlier research related these trends to the decline in the male breadwinner model, little is known about whether recent cohorts who entered adult life against the backdrop of a new socio-economic opportunity structure have established new configurations of household labour supply. Using sequence analysis and cluster analyses across harmonised longitudinal data (GSOEP, BHPS and Understanding Society) for a sample of adults born between 1961 and 1973 in Germany and the United Kingdom (UK), this study introduces an innovative indicator of household labour supply types and new descriptive findings on the cohort replacement of household labour supply in these two countries. Descriptive findings show that recent cohorts in both Germany and the UK are forming more gender-egalitarian households, as reflected by the decline in the male breadwinner model as well as by the rise of 1.5-male breadwinner households in Germany and dual-earner households in the UK. However, the proportion of single and low labour intensity households in recent cohorts has declined in the UK, while there has been no meaningful change in East Germany and a strong increase in West Germany. The evolution of household labour supply types can be attributed to the replacement of cohorts who entered adulthood and established their households under shifting socio-economic contexts and gender ideologies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Relative Income and Mental Health in Couples (2024)
Getik, Demid;Zitatform
Getik, Demid (2024): Relative Income and Mental Health in Couples. In: The Economic Journal, Jg. 134, H. 664, S. 3291-3305. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueae071
Abstract
"The share of couples where the wife out-earns the husband is increasing globally. In this paper, I examine how this dynamic affects mental health. Using data on the 2001 marital cohort in Sweden, I show that while mental health is positively associated with own and spousal income, it is negatively linked to the wife’s relative income. In the most conservative specification, the wife starting to earn more increases the likelihood of a mental health diagnosis by 8-11%. This represents a significant indirect cost of changes in family dynamics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Relative income within the household, gender norms, and well-being (2024)
Zitatform
Gihleb, Rania, Osea Giuntella & Luca Stella (2024): Relative income within the household, gender norms, and well-being. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 19. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0306180
Abstract
"This study examines the effects of relative household income on individual well-being, mental health, and physical health in Germany. Consistent with previous studies, we document a dip in the distribution of households in which the wife out-earns the husband. Using a regression discontinuity design, we show that husbands in couples in which the wife earns just more exhibit lower satisfaction with life, work, and health, and report worse physical health. Women in these couples report lower satisfaction with life and health, and worse mental health. Results on life, work, and health satisfaction among women are more pronounced in West Germany, consistent with previous evidence of gender norm differences between East and West Germany." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Lessons from the pandemic: Gender inequality in childcare and the emergence of a gender mental health gap among parents in Germany (2024)
Zitatform
Hiekel, Nicole & Mine Kühn (2024): Lessons from the pandemic: Gender inequality in childcare and the emergence of a gender mental health gap among parents in Germany. In: Demographic Research, Jg. 51, S. 49-80. DOI:10.4054/demres.2024.51.3
Abstract
"Background: The gender gap in mental health that emerged in Germany during the pandemic grew disproportionally among partnered parents. The question arises as to why mothers – compared to fathers – experienced greater declines in mental health when guiding their families through the pandemic. Objective: This study investigates how changes in childcare arrangements affected parental mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Methods: The German Family Panel is based on a random probability sample from which we selected n = 803 partnered mothers and fathers interviewed before (2018–2019) and after (2020) the onset of the pandemic. We ran change score regression models to examine (1) whether changes in gender inequality in childcare arrangements predict within-changes in mental health among mothers and fathers, and (2) whether gender role attitudes moderate this association. Results: Systematic mental health differences can be pinpointed at the intersection of gender inequality in childcare and gender role attitudes. Women in stable female childcare arrangements in which the mother did relatively more childcare and women who transitioned from non-female to female childcare arrangements experienced the largest mental health declines. This association was particularly salient among women with egalitarian attitudes. Men in these childcare arrangements either experienced no change or even improvement in certain mental health dimensions. By contrast, sharing childcare was mentally beneficial for both mothers and fathers in this global health crisis. Conclusions: Gender inequality in childcare is a risk factor for women’s health, particularly during times of shifting patterns in employment and childcare arrangements. Contribution: Taking lessons from the pandemic, policymakers should acknowledge the disproportionate burden that mothers carry when institutional childcare and schooling are unreliable. Accordingly, the unfolding childcare crises in Germany and beyond need to be tackled from a gender-sensitive perspective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Max-Planck-Institut für demographische Forschung) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Flexible Work Policies and the Division of Housework and Childcare in German Cohabiting Couples (2024)
Zitatform
Hünteler, Bettina, Andrea Cass & Martin Wetzel (2024): Flexible Work Policies and the Division of Housework and Childcare in German Cohabiting Couples. In: Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, Jg. 76, H. 4, S. 897-932. DOI:10.1007/s11577-024-00984-w
Abstract
"Flexible Arbeitsarrangements erfahren zunehmend Verbreitung und scheinen insbesondere für Paare eine bessere Vereinbarkeit von bezahlter Arbeit und Hausarbeit sowie Kinderbetreuung zu ermöglichen. Während unbezahlte Haus- und Sorgearbeit derzeit überwiegend als weiblich konnotiert gilt, könnte eine Zunahme flexibler Arbeitsarrangements zu einer geschlechtergerechteren Verteilung unbezahlter Arbeit beitragen. Empirische Belege für diese Annahme sind jedoch uneinheitlich und der Einfluss von Gender wurde noch nicht ausreichend geprüft. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden Hypothesen basierend auf ökonomischen, gender- und zeitverfügbarkeitstheoretischen Ansätzen abgeleitet, die mithilfe einer Stichprobe von n = 3244 Individuen in heterosexuellen Partnerschaften basierend auf der pairfam-Erhebung von 2018/19 und Regressionsanalysen getestet wurden. Der Zusammenhang zwischen der Aufteilung unbezahlter Arbeit und Arbeitsflexibilität wurde in Bezug auf Homeoffice, zeitliche Flexibilität und Arbeitszeitautonomie separat betrachtet. Entgegen den Hypothesen zeigte keine der Maßnahmen einen positiven Zusammenhang mit dem Anteil an Hausarbeit. Vielmehr wurde jede signifikante Assoziation vollständig durch Gender erklärt: Frauen übernahmen einen größeren Anteil an Hausarbeit, unabhängig von ihrer Arbeitsflexibilität. Lediglich der Anteil der Kinderbetreuung unterschied sich mit der Nutzung zeitlicher Flexibilität, allerdings geschlechtsspezifisch: Während Mütter mit mehr zeitlicher Flexibilität mehr Kinderbetreuung übernahmen, übernahmen Väter mit mehr Flexibilität weniger Kinderbetreuung. Flexible Arbeitsarrangements scheinen nicht per se zu einer geschlechtergerechteren Aufteilung unbezahlter Arbeit beizutragen; vielmehr könnten sich die Motive zur Nutzung von Arbeitsflexibilität nach Gender unterscheiden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Spousal Labor Supply: Decoupling Gender Norms and Earning Status (2024)
Zitatform
Isaac, Elliott (2024): Spousal Labor Supply: Decoupling Gender Norms and Earning Status. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17354), Bonn, 49 S.
Abstract
"Many household labor supply models divide couples by sex and identify separate male and female labor supply parameters. However, institutional factors in the labor market suggest that men are more likely to be primary earners in their household, meaning that intra-household gender gaps in labor supply may reflect both gender norms and earning status. I use a novel identification approach to disentangle the role of gender norms in intra-household labor supply by estimating collective labor supply models for different- and same-sex married couples. Among childless couples, I present point estimates and construct unified bounds showing that gender norms significantly increase the weight placed on women's utility by 1.1–5.1%, leading to lower labor supply. A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that the effect of gender norms on married, childless couples' labor supply is equivalent to a substantial widening of the gender wage gap." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Moving to Opportunity, Together (2024)
Jayachandran, Seema; Sundberg, Elin; Nassal, Lea; Paul, Marie ; Notowidigdo, Matthew J.; Sarsons, Heather;Zitatform
Jayachandran, Seema, Lea Nassal, Matthew J. Notowidigdo, Marie Paul, Heather Sarsons & Elin Sundberg (2024): Moving to Opportunity, Together. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 32970), Cambridge, Mass, 88 S.
Abstract
"Many couples face a trade-off between advancing one spouse's career or the other's. We study this trade-off using administrative data from Germany and Sweden. We first conduct an event-study analysis of couples moving across commuting zones and find that relocation increases men's earnings more than women's, with strikingly similar patterns in Germany and Sweden. Using a sample of mass layoff events, we then find that couples in both countries are more likely to relocate in response to the man being laid off compared to the woman. We investigate whether these gendered patterns reflect men's higher potential earnings or a gender norm that prioritizes men's career advancement. We provide suggestive evidence of a gender norm using variation in norms within Germany. We then develop and estimate a model of household decision-making in which households can place more weight on the income earned by the man compared to the woman. In both countries, the estimated model can accurately reproduce the reduced-form results, including those not used to estimate the model. The results point to a role for gender norms in explaining the gender gap in the returns to joint moves." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Separate Housework Spheres (2024)
Zitatform
Jessen, Jonas, Sebastian Schweighofer-Kodritsch, Felix Weinhardt & Jan Berkes (2024): Separate Housework Spheres. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17134), Bonn, 66 S.
Abstract
"Using novel time-use data from Germany before and after reunification, we document two facts: First, spouses who both work full-time exhibit similar housework patterns whether they do so voluntarily or due to a full-time mandate, as in the GDR. Second, men's amount of housework is independent of their spouse's labor supply. We theoretically explain this pattern by the presence of two household goods and socially learned gender-specific comparative advantage in their home production. We label this gender specialisation as separate housework spheres. Empirical evidence strongly confirms separate housework spheres in the GDR, West Germany, subsequent years post-reunification, and in international time-use data across 17 countries since the 1970s. We consider several implications, such as those for child penalties, where separate housework spheres provide a novel explanation for why it is the mothers whose labor market outcomes strongly deteriorate upon the arrival of children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
On Within-couple Time Allocation: Gendered Disparities in Paid Work and Housework in Europe (2024)
Zitatform
Sabouniha, Alireza & Maryna Tverdostup (2024): On Within-couple Time Allocation: Gendered Disparities in Paid Work and Housework in Europe. (WIIW working paper 250), Wien, 51 S.
Abstract
"This paper aims to pursue a deeper understanding of gendered within-couple allocation of time into paid work and housework in heterosexual dual-earner couples. Relying on the second wave of Harmonised European Time Use Survey (HETUS) data for 10 European countries, we estimate spousal relative worktime and housework to analyse within-couple time-use arrangements. The results show that the disparity between a wife's and a husband's workhours is gradually narrowing, yet housework remains firmly gendered even in couples in which the wife works more hours than the husband. We document strong inertia in the wife's share of housework. Although it decreases as her labor market commitment increases, the decline is slow. In addition, even if it is approaching a gender-equal split, the within-couple division of housework barely passes the point at which the husband's contribution to housework surpasses that of his wife. These results suggest that gendered time division aligns broadly with traditional theories of the household, yet the role of the 'doing-gender' hypothesis is non-negligible." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Navigating treacherous waters: Exploring the dual career experiences of European Research Council applicants (2024)
Zitatform
Schels, Brigitte, Sara Connolly, Stefan Fuchs, Channah Herschberg & Claartje Vinkenburg (2024): Navigating treacherous waters. Exploring the dual career experiences of European Research Council applicants. In: C. Gross & S. Jaksztat (Hrsg.) (2024): Career Paths Inside and Outside Academia (=Soziale Welt. Special Edition 26), S. 341-371, 2023-02-27. DOI:10.5771/9783748925590-341
Abstract
"Die Karrieren von Wissenschaftler_innen entwickeln sich nicht in einem sozialen Vakuum. Nach dem Konzept der „linked lives“ (Moen 2003) hat der Karriereverlauf eines Partners Auswirkungen auf die Karriere des anderen Partners. Wir untersuchen die Doppelkarrieren von Wissenschaftler_innen, die sich auf eine Förderung durch den European Research Council (ERC) beworben haben, auf Basis einer quantitativen Befragung und von qualitativen Interviews. Während das idealtypische Bild von Wissenschaftler_innen auf einem individualistischen Karrieremodell mit uneingeschränkter internationaler Mobilität und Karriereengagement beruht, zeigt sich quantitativ, dass die Mehrheit der Antragsteller_innen beim ERC erwerbstätige Partner_innen, häufig ebenfalls Wissenschaftler_innen, und Kinder haben. Das Gros der ERC-Antragsteller_innen mit berufstätigen Partner_innen bewertet, dass beide Karrieren in der Partnerschaft gleich wichtig sind. Bei den Antragstellerinnen ist der Anteil jedoch höher. Selbst wenn die eigene Karriere wichtiger erscheint, erleben die Wissenschaftler_innen die Koordination zweier Karrieren als nicht einfach. Dies gilt sowohl für ältere etablierte Wissenschaftler_innen als auch für Wissenschaftler_innen, die sich noch in der "Rushhour" des Lebens befinden. In den erlebten Erfahrungen der ERC-Antragsteller_innen zeigt sich, dass sie dem vorherrschenden Idealbild in der Wissenschaft entsprechen wollen, aber an Grenzen stoßen, insbesondere wenn Mobilitätsanforderungen durch fehlende Übertragbarkeit des Job der Partner_innen eingeschränkt ist. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellt sich die Frage, wie sie zwei Karrieren koordinieren, für sie immer wieder neu. Diese Anforderungen bestehen sowohl für Wissenschaftler als auch Wissenschaftlerinnen, aber einige der Konsequenzen – etwa bei wem die Kinder sind und wer vorrangig die Betreuung übernimmt – sind geschlechtsspezifisch. Wir ziehen Schlussfolgerungen zur Förderung dualer Karrieren in der Wissenschaft für Arbeitgeber_innen und Forschungsförderung." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © Nomos)
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Literaturhinweis
To work or to care? Herausforderungen der Herstellung des Alltags von Mehrkindfamilien (2024)
Simon, Romy;Zitatform
Simon, Romy (2024): To work or to care? Herausforderungen der Herstellung des Alltags von Mehrkindfamilien. In: Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Jg. 49, H. 4, S. 561-579. DOI:10.1007/s11614-024-00571-5
Abstract
"In Mehrkindfamilien, d. h. Familien mit drei und mehr Kindern, sind die sozialen Beziehungen aufgrund der größeren Zahl der Mitglieder komplexer, so dass die Gestaltung des Familienalltags herausfordernder sein kann. Aus einer Doing Family Perspektive ist Familie keine selbstverständlich vorhandene Ressource, sondern muss tagtäglich durch die Herstellungsleistungen der Mitglieder aktiv erbracht werden. Der Artikel geht der leitenden Frage nach, welche Unterschiede in den Herstellungsleistungen des Alltags von Mehrkindfamilien, die das Ernährer- oder Doppelverdienermodell ausüben, herausgearbeitet werden können. Die empirische Grundlage dieses Beitrags bildet eine qualitative Studie mit zwölf Mehrkindfamilien, in welcher Eltern- und Kinderinterviews sowie teilnehmende Beobachtungen durchgeführt wurden. Es zeigt sich, dass das Arrangement der Erwerbstätigkeit die verfügbaren Zeiten und die Gestaltung des Familienlebens stark beeinflusst. Dabei nimmt die mütterliche Einbindung in die Erwerbsarbeit einen zentralen Einflussfaktor für die geschlechtsspezifische Arbeitsteilung ein. Eine mütterliche Nichteinbindung oder Teilzeiterwerbstätigkeit kann die Organisation der Care-Arbeit entzerren, führt jedoch einerseits zu der primären Hauptverantwortung der Mutter sowie andererseits häufig zu einer angespannteren finanziellen Situation der Familie. Dahingehend zeigen sich bei den Doppelverdienerpaaren knappere Zeitressourcen für die Care-Arbeit bei gleichzeitiger finanzieller Sicherheit, die wiederum dieses Erwerbstätigkeitsarrangement neben dem individuellen Wunsch nach Selbstverwirklichung der Elternteile legitimiert. Insbesondere Mütter, die die Hausfrauenrolle übernehmen oder voll erwerbstätig sind, sehen sich mit den von Außenstehenden an sie herangetragenen Normen und Wertevorstellungen konfrontiert." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag)
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Literaturhinweis
Parents' hourly wages in female same-sex and different-sex couples: The role of partner's gender and employers (2024)
Zitatform
Stückradt, Katharina, Eva Jaspers, Ruben van Gaalen & Weverthon Machado (2024): Parents' hourly wages in female same-sex and different-sex couples: The role of partner's gender and employers. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 36, S. 66-84. DOI:10.20377/jfr-960
Abstract
"Objective: This research article investigates the relationship between parenthood and wages, considering the partner's gender and the influence of employers on wage trajectories for birth and non-birth mothers and fathers. Background: It offers a novel examination whether the gender of the partner affects the wage outcomes for birth mothers and explores the differential impact of employers on wages for birth and non-birth mothers, using Dutch register data. Method: Utilizing OLS regression, Heckman selection, and fixed-effects models, this study focuses on all Dutch couples who had their first child between 2008 and 2014 in the Netherlands, from two years prior to the birth until two years after birth. Results: Consistent with human capital theory, the findings reveal a consistent and unfavourable wage development for birth mothers, regardless of whether they are in same-sex couples or different-sex couples. The wage development for non-birth mothers in female same-sex couples resembles that of fathers, showing a more positive trajectory compared to birth mothers. Furthermore, the analysis indicates that employers do not differentiate in their treatment of birth and non-birth mothers, suggesting that biological constraints associated with motherhood impact wages of birth mothers, while both their male and female partners ’ wages do not decline. Conclusion: The study contributes to the existing literature in family sociology, highlighting the need for policies and interventions that address the specific challenges faced by birth mothers in the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Parenthood premium but fatherhood super-premium in academic productivity? A matter of partner's employment (2024)
Zitatform
Tattarini, Giulia, Olga Gorodetskaja & Agnese Vitali (2024): Parenthood premium but fatherhood super-premium in academic productivity? A matter of partner's employment. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-27. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2024.2410433
Abstract
"While the discourse about work-family balance in academia (and elsewhere) is generally framed as a woman's issue, this study focuses on the association between childbirth and the scholarly productivity of both academic women and men. In particular, the authors examine whether the association between parenthood and scholarly productivity is contingent on gender and partner's employment status. Using German longitudinal data and addressing self-selection, results indicate the existence of a ‘parenthood premium’: scholarly productivity is higher for both fathers and mothers compared to their childless counterparts. Yet, academic fathers publish more than childless men and more than academic mothers, giving rise to a ‘fatherhood super-premium’. Additionally, the study reveals that the fatherhood super-premium is influenced by the employment status of the female partner, while this is not the case for academic mothers. Overall, the research highlights the importance of considering the division of labour within couples in understanding the gender gap in scholarly productivity and, ultimately, gender disparities in academia." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Transition to fatherhood and adjustments in working hours: The importance of organizational policy feedback (2023)
Zitatform
Abendroth, Anja-Kristin & Laura Lükemann (2023): Transition to fatherhood and adjustments in working hours: The importance of organizational policy feedback. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 35, S. 535-552. DOI:10.20377/jfr-946
Abstract
"Objective: This study investigates whether the normalization of the use of the family-friendly workplace policy flexiplace in the organization affects men's adjustments in working hours following their transition to fatherhood. Background: Men's stable full-time employment after childbirth remains to be a barrier to the equal distribution of care and paid work. Recent research suggests that state family policies promoting dual-earner/dual-carer family models can involve new norm setting of active fatherhood, albeit so far with only modest consequences for fathers' working hours. Unclear is, however, whether family-friendly workplace policies, such as flexiplace, and involved organizational policy feedback are of complementary importance. Method: We estimated fixed-effects regression analyses on men's adjustments in actual and contracted hours after a transition to fatherhood. Analyses are based on linked employer-employee panel data (2012/13; 2014/15; 2018/19) from large German work organizations, considering a random sample of 1,687 men in 131 work organizations. Results: Findings revealed that the normalization of using flexiplace in the work organization was associated with a reduction in men's overall working hours as well as marginal adjustments in their contracted hours after transitioning to fatherhood. Conclusion: Although a normalization of flexiplace is more likely in demanding workplace contexts, men experience at least some leeway in adjusting extensive temporal investments to cater to private demands." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Coparenting and conflicts between work and family – between-within analysis of German mothers and fathers (2023)
Zitatform
Adams, Ayhan (2023): Coparenting and conflicts between work and family – between-within analysis of German mothers and fathers. (SocArXiv papers), 23 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/fgx7y
Abstract
"The presence of children exacerbates the compatibility of work and family. Working along similar lines in terms of parenting seems to be necessary to cope with these challenges, but only a few studies have focused on the relationship between coparenting and interrole conflicts. This study seeks to close this gap by investigating the interrelatedness between coparenting conflicts and work-to-family/family-to-work conflicts with a particular focus on gender differences. The quantitative analysis draws on longitudinal data from waves 6 to 10 of the German Family Panel (N = 858). Between-within regression models were conducted to investigate both inter- and intraindividual association of coparenting conflicts and work-to-family/family-to-work conflicts. The results revealed that the level of coparenting conflicts is significantly associated with the level of both work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts. Furthermore, changes in coparenting conflicts are associated with changes in family-to-work conflicts. Unexpectedly, the interaction between the level of coparenting conflicts and gender shows that the associations with interrole conflicts are stronger for fathers than for mothers. Thus, the study provides insights into the interrelatedness between the parental coparenting relationship and the compatibility of work, gender-specific associations, and differences between interindividual and intraindividual associations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
Aspekt auswählen:
Aspekt zurücksetzen
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Männern
- Kinderbetreuung und Pflege
- Berufliche Geschlechtersegregation
- Berufsrückkehr – Wiedereinstieg in den Arbeitsmarkt
- Dual-Career-Couples
- Work-Life
- Geschlechtsspezifische Lohnunterschiede
- Familienpolitische Rahmenbedingungen
- Aktive/aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- Arbeitslosigkeit und passive Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- geografischer Bezug
