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Bothfeld, Silke, Yves Jeanrenaud, Stefanie Wöhl, Andrea Leitner, Dorothea Schmidt, Gesine Fuchs, Heide Pfarr, Petra Ahrens, Alexandra Scheele-Bär, Agnes Blome, Agnieszka Althaber, Andrea Jochmann-Döll, Claudia Gather, Regine Winter, Ann-Christin Bächmann, Clemens Ohlert, Volker Kotte, Sigrid Betzelt, Aysel Yollu-Tok, Hanna Völkle, Susanne Kohaut, Karin Jurczyk, Matthias Collischon, Elke Holst, Christina Klenner, Miriam Beblo, Hildegard Maria Nickel, Eva Markowsky, Christina Boll, Lily Dausch, Ingrid Biermann, Sandra Knorr, Brigitte Schels, Karin Gottschall, Iris Möller, Petra Schütt, Friederike Maier, Christian Hohendanner, Lena Schürmann, Silke Bothfeld, Anja-Kristin Abendroth, Florian Zimmermann, Susanne Wanger & Michaela Fuchs (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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Abendroth-Sohl, Anja, Ann-Christin Bächmann, Alexandra Mellies & Kevin Ruf (2025): Die Qual der Wahl? Soziale Strukturierungen der tariflichen Wahlmöglichkeit zwischen Zeit und Geld. In: WSI-Mitteilungen, Jg. 78, H. 1, S. 22-29., 2025-11-01. DOI:10.5771/0342-300X-2025-1-22

Abstract

"Immer mehr Beschäftigte sehen sich mit Vereinbarkeitskonflikten zwischen Privatem und Beruflichem konfrontiert. Entsprechend hat der Wunsch nach mehr Mitbestimmung in der Gestaltung der individuellen Arbeitszeit gesellschaftlich stark an Bedeutung gewonnen. Vor diesem Hintergrund haben einige Gewerkschaften eine tarifliche Wahloption durchgesetzt, die es Beschäftigten erlaubt, sich jährlich zwischen mehr Zeit oder mehr Geld zu entscheiden. Dieser Beitrag untersucht, inwieweit die Wahl von mehr Zeit anstelle von mehr Geld sozial strukturiert ist; er berücksichtigt dabei Unterschiede bei der Wahl von Zeit sowie die dahinterliegenden Motive zwischen Männern und Frauen mit und ohne Kinder unter 14 Jahren im Haushalt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © Nomos)

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Abraham, Martin, Hanna Walch & Anja Wunder (2025): The role of gender and equity norms in the social acceptance of outsourcing housework. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 37, S. 119-140., 2025-04-16. DOI:10.20377/jfr-1111

Abstract

"Fragestellung: In diese Studie wird das Zusammenspiel von Geschlechter- und Gleichheitsnormen im Hinblick auf die gesellschaftliche Akzeptanz der Auslagerung von Hausarbeit untersucht. Hintergrund: Zur Erklärung der Auslagerung von Hausarbeit werden häufig Geschlechternormen herangezogen, allerdings sind die bisherigen Forschungsergebnisse diesbezüglich jedoch uneinheitlich. Wir argumentieren, dass dies auf die Vernachlässigung einer weiteren zentralen Norm – der Gleichheit – zurückzuführen sein kann, die für das Verhältnis von Leistungen und Gegenleistungen in sozialen Austauschbeziehungen entscheidend ist. Methode: Zur Überprüfung unserer Hypothesen greifen wir auf eine faktoriellen Suryey zurück, die 2020 in Deutschland durchgeführt wurde (N = 366). Die Teilnehmenden bewerteten darin hypothetische Situationen (Vignetten), in denen ein Paar Hausarbeit an Dritte auslagert. Die Auswertung erfolgte mittels linearer Regressionsanalysen mit clusterrobusten Standardfehlern. Ergebnisse: Erstens ist die Auslagerung von Hausarbeit bei Frauen gesellschaftlich weniger akzeptiert als bei Männern – unabhängig davon, ob es sich um eine traditionell männlich oder weiblich konnotierte Aufgabe handelt. Zweitens steigt die Akzeptanz, wenn die auslagernde Person mehr Arbeitsstunden leistet. Drittens verringert sich der Gender Gap bei der sozialen Akzeptanz von Auslagerung nur bei vollzeitbeschäftigten Personen. Insbesondere teilzeitbeschäftigte Frauen stoßen auf geringere gesellschaftliche Zustimmung. Schlussfolgerung: Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Geschlechternormen die soziale Akzeptanz der Auslagerung von Hausarbeit durch teilzeitbeschäftigte Frauen verringern. Gleichheitsnormen hingegen können diesen Effekt bei vollzeitbeschäftigten Frauen abmildern. Insgesamt erweisen sich Geschlechternormen als besonders stabil in Paarmodellen mit einer traditionellen Rollenverteilung." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Acero, Isabel & Nuria Alcalde (2025): Gender pay gap among non-executive directors in Spanish boards. In: Applied Economics, S. 1-13. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2025.2499209

Abstract

"This study focuses on the existence or not of a gender pay gap (GPG) among non-executive directors (NEDs) in Spanish boards. For this purpose, we used a sample covering 4,018 positions/year for NEDs in 57 Spanish listed firms over a 10-year period (2013–2022). The results obtained suggest that, controlling for individual characteristics of the directors, the type of position held as well as the features of the company and its corporate governance system, female NEDs receive approximately 11% less remuneration than their male counterparts. Therefore, our findings do not support the idea that female directors are a scarce resource that firms compete for and reward. The results also highlight the need to differentiate by categories of directors when analysing the GPG in the board. In fact, we find that the GPG is higher for proprietary directors (around 18%) than for independent directors (around 6%). In terms of practical implications, our results may be of interest to policy-makers who are considering gender equity policies to break the glass ceiling." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Adams, Abi, Kotaro Hara, Kristy Milland & Chris Callison-Burch (2025): The Gender Wage Gap in an Online Labor Market: The Cost of Interruptions. In: The Review of Economics and Statistics, Jg. 107, H. 1, S. 55-64. DOI:10.1162/rest_a_01282

Abstract

"This paper analyzes gender differences in working patterns and wages on Amazon Mechanical Turk, a popular online labor platform. Using information on 2 million tasks, we find no gender differences in task selection nor experience. Nonetheless, women earn 20% less per hour on average. Gender differences in working patterns are a significant driver of this wage gap. Women are more likely to interrupt their working time on the platform with consequences for their task completion speed. A follow-up survey shows that the gender differences in working patterns and hourly wages are concentrated among workers with children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © MIT Press Journals) ((en))

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Afonso, António & M. Carmen Blanco-Arana (2025): The persistence of gender pay and employment gaps in European countries. In: Comparative Economic Studies, Jg. 67, H. 2, S. 326-354. DOI:10.1057/s41294-025-00252-6

Abstract

"We assess the factors that influence the gender pay gap and gender employment gap across an unbalanced panel of 31 European countries over the period 2000–2022, and estimate a system generalized method of moment model (GMM). We find that tertiary education reduces gender pay gap, and part-time and temporary contracts significantly increase this gap. Moreover, part-time reduces significantly gender employment gap, and both secondary and tertiary education as well. Additionally, for countries with GDP per capita below the sample mean, temporary work and part-time work significantly increases the gender pay gap. Nevertheless, for both group of countries (below and above GDP per capita sample mean), temporary work increases, whereas part-time work decreases the gender employment gap, highlighting the importance of being working or not. Finally, in higher income countries, education is the crucial determinant in reducing these gaps. Results are robust with fixed effects models." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Albanesi, Stefania (2025): Changing Business Cycles: The Role of Women's Employment. In: American Economic Journal. Macroeconomics, Jg. 17, H. 4, S. 345-390. DOI:10.1257/mac.20210138

Abstract

"Women's labor force participation in the United States rose rapidly until the mid-1990s when it flattened out. I examine the impact of this change in trend on aggregate business cycles with a quantitative model that incorporates gender differences. I show that the rise in women's participation played a substantial role in the Great Moderation and not allowing for gender differences leads to incorrect inference on its causes. The subsequent slowdown in women's participation played a substantial role in jobless recoveries and reduced aggregate hours and output growth in expansions, worsening aggregate economic performance in the United States." (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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Alfitian, Jakob, Marvin Deversi & Dirk Sliwka (2025): Closing the Gender Gap in Salary Increases: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Promoting Pay Equity. In: Journal of labor economics. DOI:10.1086/739021

Abstract

"We present a natural field experiment on promoting pay equity through simple modifications to the salary review process involving 623 middle managers and 8,951 subordinate employees of a large technology firm. We first document a gender gap not only in salary levels but also in salary increases. Our treatments provide for a gender-blind reallocation of the salary increase budget available to middle managers aimed at promoting pay equity, along with different variants of a corresponding decision guidance. We show that the budget reallocation combined with an explicit decision guidance, while still leaving middle managers discretion in allocating the budget, can completely eliminate the gender gap in salary increases. The treatments also do not appear to undermine the desired performance differentiation in salary increases. We thus show that simple modifications to the salary review process can go a long way toward achieving pay equity by preventing gender gaps from widening throughout employees' careers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Allard, Camille (2025): How Care Inequalities are Reproduced in ‘Carer-Friendly’ Jobs: The Case of Employer-Led Carer’s Leave. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 4, S. 814-835. DOI:10.1177/09500170251337682

Abstract

"This article investigates how working carers – workers with care responsibilities for a long-term ill, ageing or disabled relative – negotiate their care responsibilities when employed in a ‘carer-friendly’ job with access to paid carer’s leave. Based on narrative interviews with 17 working carers in the UK, the article explores how the availability of carer’s leave influences carers ’ perception and legitimization of their roles as ‘carers’ within their families. By drawing on, and extending Acker’s concept of ‘inequality regimes’, the article uncovers the organizational processes, discourses of legitimization and normative pressures that shape carers’ roles both in their workplaces and at home. It argues that having ajob supported by a ‘carer-friendly’ employer – but without a right to statutory paid carer’s leave – can reinforce the normative perceptions of ‘who’ should be a carer at home." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Alon, Titan, Sena Coskun & Jane Olmstead‑Rumsey (2025): Gender Divergence in Sectors of Work. (IAB-Discussion Paper 11/2025), Nürnberg, 44 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2511

Abstract

"Im letzten halben Jahrhundert kam es in vielen Bereichen des Arbeitsmarktes, darunter Arbeitszeit, Einkommen und Berufe, zu einer weitgehenden Annäherung der Geschlechter. Diese Studie zeigt jedoch, dass sich die Beschäftigungssektoren von Männern und Frauen im gleichen Zeitraum tatsächlich auseinanderentwickelt haben. Wir zerlegen den Anstieg der sektoralen Segregation in drei Faktoren: veränderte Präferenzen, Diskriminierung und Technologien. Veränderte Beschäftigungspräferenzen verheirateter Frauen sind der wichtigste Faktor und erklären 59% des Anstiegs der Segregation. Diese veränderten Präferenzen verringern auch die geschlechtsspezifische Einkommenslücke, da die von Frauen geschätzten nicht‑lohnbezogenen Annehmlichkeiten in höher bezahlten Sektoren zunehmend an Bedeutung gewinnen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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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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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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Baeckström, Ylva, Nina Rezec & Michael E. Clinton (2025): Women's Career Success in the Financial Services Industry: Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Directions. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 32, H. 5, S. 1994-2012. DOI:10.1111/gwao.13253

Abstract

"Notorious for its homogeneous hierarchies, the financial services industry needs, yet haemorrhages, talented women. This, in combination with severe underrepresentation of women in senior leadership roles and an unproportionally large gender pay gap, warrants scholarly attention. To summarize existing work and propose future impactful research directions, this paper provides a systematic review of the literature about women's careers in financial services. Our analysis of 150 articles published between 2000 and 2023 demonstrates the presence of persistent gender stereotyping and pervasive career disadvantages for women and mothers. We illustrate this within an input–process–output–solutions framework that can inform future research and policy formation. Governments have an important role in ensuring equal policies for all genders, regardless of parenting status. Firms need to establish fair policies that support the careers of all employees and embed these values throughout their organizations. Consistent attention to these can challenge the systemic gender inequality in the financial services industry and improve business performance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bajka, Scherwin M., Benita Combet, Patrick Emmenegger & Sabine Seufert (2025): Skill requirements versus workplace characteristics: exploring the drivers of occupational gender segregation. In: Socio-economic review, S. 1-22. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwaf034

Abstract

"What role do skill requirements play in gendered occupational preferences? Previous research has emphasized workplace characteristics such as salaries and family-friendly work hours. Less attention has been paid to skill requirements, even though they are an important part of job descriptions and serve as reference points for individuals’ assessment of their suitability for occupations. Using a choice experiment among Swiss adolescents who are in the process of choosing their vocational training occupation, this article demonstrates that women and men have surprisingly similar preferences for workplace characteristics. In contrast, skill requirements are better predictors of gender differences in occupational preferences. We find that technical skills are critical in explaining gendered occupational preferences, with occupations that rely more heavily on new technologies attracting fewer women. At the same time, both genders prefer occupations that emphasize social interactions, suggesting that the prominent ‘people’ versus ‘things’ distinction does not adequately capture gendered occupational preferences." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Baktash, Mehrzad B. (2025): Does Performance Pay Increase the Risk of Worker Loneliness? In: Kyklos, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1111/kykl.70018

Abstract

"Increased wages and productivity associated with performance pay can be beneficial to both employers and employees. However, performance pay can also entail unintended consequences for workers' well-being. This study is the first to systematically examine the association between performance pay and loneliness, a significant policy-relevant social well-being concern. Using representative survey data from Germany, I show that performance pay is significantly associated with increased loneliness. Correspondingly, performance pay is negatively associated with the social life satisfaction of workers. Investigating the transmission channels reveals work hours, earnings, conflict with coworkers, and conflict with the life partner as important mediators. The key findings also hold in sensible instrumental variable estimations, addressing the potential endogeneity of performance pay and in various robustness checks. Finally, implications are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bamieh, Omar & Lennart Ziegler (2025): Can Wage Transparency Alleviate Gender Sorting in the Labor Market? In: Economic Policy, Jg. 40, H. 122, S. 401-426. DOI:10.1093/epolic/eiae025

Abstract

"A large share of the gender wage gap can be attributed to occupation and employer choices. If workers are not well informed about these pay differences, increasing wage transparency might alleviate the gender gap. We test this hypothesis by examining the impact of mandatory wage postings. In 2011, Austria introduced a policy that requires firms to provide a minimum wage offer in job postings. To compare the pay prospects of vacancies before and after the introduction, we predict posted wages using detailed occupation-firm cells, which explain about 75 percent of the variation in wage postings. While we estimate a substantial gender gap of 15 log points, mandatory wage postings do not affect gender sorting into better-paying occupations and firms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Barigozzi, Francesca, Natalia Montinari, Giovanni Righetto & Alessandro Tampieri (2025): Beyond Human Capital: Mobility intentions, IT skills, and the Early Gender Wage Gap. (Quaderni - working paper DSE / Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Department of Economics 1212), Bologna, 34 S.

Abstract

"In most countries, women systematically outperform men in academic achievement across fields of study. Yet within a year of graduation, they earn less, face lower employment rates, and are more likely to work part-time. If human capital were the sole determinant of pay, this pattern would be difficult to reconcile. We address this puzzle by extending the statistical discrimination framework 'a la Phelps (1972) to include not only human capital but also additional components of productivity, such as IT skills and mobility intentions -the willingness to travel or relocate for work -which might capture candidates' technological proficiency and adaptability. Using rich microdata from the AlmaLaurea survey of master's graduates from the University of Bologna (2015–2022), we show that while human capital alone predicts no gender wage gap in favor of men, combining it with mobility intentions reproduces the early wage disadvantage observed for women in Economics and Engineering. We further show that IT skills -an observable CV trait constructed from multiple IT-skill items- reduce the residual gender wage gap, especially in Engineering. Our findings highlight the importance of complementing human capital with field-specific preference and skill traits to explain-and potentially address-early gender wage gaps." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Batz-Barbarich, Cassondra, Nicole Strah & Farhan Masud Ahmed (2025): Do Words Matter? The Impact of Communal and Agentic Language on Women’s Application to Job Opportunities. In: Journal of Personnel Psychology, Jg. 24, H. 3, S. 135-147. DOI:10.1027/1866-5888/a000364

Abstract

": Communal and agentic goal affordances predict women’s perceived fit in and pursuit of work environments. However, an organization’s ability to influence women’s perceptions and pursuit of roles via language signals in job advertisements is unclear. This field study examines the impact of communal (vs. agentic) language in job advertisements ( N = 330 ads; 242 organizations) on attitudes and behaviors of actual job seekers. Results indicate that some agentic and communal cues influence behavior such that the former leads to a smaller proportion of female applicants, whereas the latter leads to a greater proportion. However, results became nonsignificant after controlling for industry gender representation. Our results explore the utility of experimentally explored interventions to determine their influence on real applicants’ behaviors." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Hogrefe Verlag) ((en))

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Bayer, Tim, Lenard Simon & Jakob Wegmann (2025): Withheld from Working More? Withholding Taxes and the Labor Supply of Married Women. (CRC TR 224 discussion paper series / EPoS Collaborative Research Center Transregio 224 631), Bonn, 83 S.

Abstract

"To collect income taxes, almost all countries require employers to withhold monthly tax prepayments which are then fully credited against the income tax liabilities of their employees. Despite being a fundamental component of income taxation systems worldwide, the impact of these withholding taxes on labor supply is poorly understood. We investigate their importance in the context of married couples in Germany where the withholding tax liability can be redistributed between spouses. We exploit a reform that reduced the withholding tax for some married women more than for others, while inducing no differences in income taxes. Using administrative data for the full population of German taxpayers, we estimate an elasticity of labor income with respect to the withholding tax eight years after the reform of 0.14. Additional evidence from a self-conducted survey suggests imperfect understanding of the tax system and limited pooling of resources within the household as the main mechanisms. As the majority of couples shift parts of the withholding tax liability from the husband to the wife, our results suggest that the increased withholding tax liability of married women contributes to their low labor supply. This highlights the need for governments to be aware of the distortion of labor supply incentives when the design of withholding taxes does not match actual income tax incentives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Been, Jim, Marike Knoef & Heike Vethaak (2025): How Important is Selection into Full-time and Part-time Employment? A New Panel Data Sample Selection Model for Estimating Wage Profiles. In: Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, S. 1-19. DOI:10.1080/07350015.2025.2520851

Abstract

"The literature has shown that correcting for self-selection into work is important for the estimation of wage profiles. In this paper, we analyze to what extent intensive labor supply choices add valuable otherwise unobserved information to improve wage profile estimates. We develop a panel data sample selection model that allows for discrete choices in labor supply decisions and apply this to high-quality administrative data. Compared to labor supply decisions at the extensive margin, our new approach is able to control for additional unobserved heterogeneity from intensive labor supply choices with important consequences for the existence and direction of selection into (part-time) work. Applied to the data, we find that such information is especially important for estimating part-time wage profiles for women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Beier, Friederike (2025): Zeiten der Sorge. Ökofeministische Zeitpolitik und die Temporalitäten von more-than-human-care. In: Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Jg. 50, H. 1. DOI:10.1007/s11614-025-00591-9

Abstract

"Zeitpolitische Maßnahmen wie die Arbeitszeitverkürzung von Lohnarbeit stehen aktuell im Zentrum gesellschaftlicher und wissenschaftlicher Debatten. Feministische Perspektiven betrachten die Verkürzung der Lohnarbeit als Chance, Sorgearbeit gerechter zu verteilen und Sorgeverantwortliche zu entlasten. Ökologische Ansätze knüpfen daran die Hoffnung, Emissionen und Ressourcenverbrauch durch die Reduktion des Produktionssektors zu verringern. Beide Perspektiven bleiben jedoch in einem lohnarbeitszentrierten und quantitativ orientierten Verständnis von Zeit verhaftet, das den multiplen Rhythmen des Lebens und der Sorge nicht gerecht wird. Dieser Beitrag entwickelt, ausgehend von queerfeministischen Zeittheorien und dem Konzept more-than-human-care , eine zeittheoretische Perspektive, die das Verständnis von (öko)feministischen Zeitpolitiken erweitert. Die Temporalitäten von more-than-human-care werden als multipel, spiralförmig und divergierend konzipiert. Der Artikel argumentiert, dass diese Temporalitäten zentrale Impulse für eine ökofeministische Transformation der Zeitpolitik liefern können, und entwickelt abschließend Prämissen für eine sorgezentrierte ökofeministische Zeitpolitik." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Berglund, Tomas, Jørgen Svalund, Tuomo Alasoini, Katrín Ólafsdóttir, Stine Rasmussen, Johan Røed Steen & Pekka Varje (2025): Gendered Labor Markets and Occupational Change in the Nordics. In: Nordic journal of working life studies, S. 1-23. DOI:10.18291/njwls.160118

Abstract

"Recent research on changes in the occupational structure in the Nordic region points in different directions. Some studies indicate upgrading of jobs with better quality, advanced skill requirements, and higher wages, while others show tendencies toward polarization in the skill distribution of jobs. The present article finds gendered patterns of upgrading or polarization in the occupational structure in the Nordic countries in the years 2012–2019. The changes in the occupational structure have been more beneficial for women, who increasingly occupy higher-level positions. Especially, the public sector has served as a vehicle for high-level female positions. While previous research has stressed technological change, especially digitalization as the primary driver of change, this article argues that developments in the public sector also need to be considered to fully understand occupational change in the Nordic region." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Berlanda, Andrea, Elisabetta Lodigiani & Lorenzo Rocco (2025): Immigration and Adult Children's Care for Elderly Parents: Evidence from Western Europe. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17984), Bonn, 41 S.

Abstract

"In this paper, we use the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), complemented with register data on the share of the foreign population in the European regions, to examine the effects of migration on the level of informal care provided by children to their senior parents. Our main results show that migration decreases informal care among daughters with a university degree, while it increases the provision of informal care among daughters with low-to-medium levels of education. Viceversa, migration has practically no effect on sons’ care provision who remain little involved in care activities. These results depend on the combination of two supply effects. First, migration increases the supply of domestic and personal services, making formal care more affordable and available. Second, as immigrants compete with low-to-medium-educated native workers, while improve the labor market opportunities of the better educated, the supply of informal care can increase among the less educated daughters and decrease among the more educated." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Berth, Felix, Dominik Hank & Leonie Kleinschrot (2025): Das westdeutsche Kitasystem im Wandel: Einstellungen, Diskurse und Angebote zur Kleinkindbetreuung seit den 1970er-Jahren. In: Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, Jg. 28, H. 5, S. 1275-1294. DOI:10.1007/s11618-025-01322-2

Abstract

"Der Beitrag analysiert den Ausbau der institutionellen Kindertagesbetreuung in Westdeutschland in den vergangenen fünf Jahrzehnten im Zusammenhang mit gesellschaftlichen Diskursen und dem Wandel individueller Einstellungen. Der Fokus liegt dabei auf der außerfamilialen Betreuung von Kindern unter drei Jahren, weil bei dieser Altersgruppe in diesem Zeitraum besonders starke Veränderungen der Betreuungsverhältnisse erkennbar sind. Methodisch wird eine historische Inhaltsanalyse der Kita-Berichterstattung einer renommierten Tageszeitung kombiniert mit einer Analyse des Einstellungswandels sowie einer Analyse der Sozialberichterstattung in den bundesdeutschen Kinder- und Jugendberichten. Deutlich wird, dass sich die wissenschaftlichen Positionierungen frühzeitig für einen Ausbau der Kita-Betreuung aussprachen, während der massenmediale Diskurs vor allem auf Themensetzungen der Politik reagierte. Beim Einstellungswandel zeigt sich eine kontinuierlich steigende Akzeptanz nicht-mütterlicher Kleinkindbetreuung in Westdeutschland. Die Integration der Daten weist auf einen wachsenden policy-culture-gap bis zur Jahrtausendwende hin." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bertogg, Ariane & Jason Settels (2025): Dependent on one's past? how lifetime employment shapes later life work-care reconciliation. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 28, H. 4, S. 479-498. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2023.2229002

Abstract

"This article investigates the association between older Europeans’ earlier employment biographies and their probability of leaving the labour market when becoming a caregiver. Based on theoretical ideas about life course path-dependencies and gender role socialisation, we argue that accumulated durations of lifetime employment are associated with both labour market exits in general, and conditional on caregiving. We draw on six panel waves from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and use information from retrospective interviews (SHARELIFE) to measure earlier participation in six different types of (non-)employment between ages 20 and 50. We analyse a large sample of men and women aged 50–68 years in 18 European countries (n = 35,766 respondents).Based on fixed effects regression models, we find that employment biographies and current caregiving jointly affect labour market exits. Explanations for these linkages are gender-specific: Upon initiation of caregiving, men are more likely to extend working lives when their previous employment biographies are characterised by homemaking, pointing at neutralising deviance from non-standard male biographies. For women, we find evidence for path-dependencies: Concomitant to beginning caregiving, women are more likely to stay in the labour market the longer their previous employment was characterised by homemaking." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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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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Biasi, Paola & Maria De Paola (2025): The Role of Parental Leave Policies in Mitigating Child Penalties: Insights from Italy. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 253. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2025.112355

Abstract

"This study examines child penalties for mothers and fathers in Italy by using novel administrative data. Relying on an event study approach, we find that childbirth affects mothers' earnings negatively, while fathers' earnings remain largely unaffected. However, when leave allowances are included in earnings, the child penalty for women nearly disappears in the year of childbirth and drops by more than half in the following year. Subsequently mothers’ earnings quickly return to pre-birth levels, but never catch up to fathers' earnings, which follow an upward trajectory, increasing by approximately 46% seven years after childbirth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Bister, Lara, Peter Eibich, Roberta Rutigliano, Mine Kühn & Karen van Hedel (2025): Selection into maternity leave length and long-run maternal health in Germany. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 54, H. 2, S. 528-547. DOI:10.1017/S0047279423000429

Abstract

"Existing literature shows the importance of maternity leave as a strategy for women to balance work and family responsibilities. However, only a few studies focused on the long-run impact of maternity leave length on maternal health. Therefore, how exactly they are related remains unclear. We examine women’s selection into different lengths of maternity leave as a potential explanation for the inconclusive findings in the literature on the association between maternity leave and maternal health. This study aims to unravel the association between maternity leave length and mothers’ long-term health in Germany. Drawing on detailed data from the German Statutory Pension Fund (DRV), we estimated the association between maternity leave length and sick leave from 3 years following their child’s birth for 4,243 women living in Germany in 2015 by applying discrete-time logistic regression. Our results show a negative relationship between maternity-leave length and long-term maternal health, likely driven by negative health selection. Long maternity leaves of more than 24 months were associated with worse maternal health in the long run, while a positive association emerged for vulnerable women with pre-existing health problems." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Blau, Francine D. (2025): Gender Inequality in the Labor Market: Continuing Progress? In: ILR review, Jg. 78, H. 2, S. 275-303. DOI:10.1177/00197939241308844

Abstract

"This article examines the trends in women ’s economic outcomes in the United States, focusing primarily on labor force participation, occupational attainment, and the gender wage gap. Considerable progress was made on all dimensions prior to the 1990s followed by a slowing or stalling of gains thereafter, with a plateauing of female labor force participation trends and a slowing of women’s occupational and wage convergence with men. The author considers the likelihood that progress in narrowing gender gaps will resume in these areas, and concludes it is unlikely without policy intervention. She then considers new policy initiatives to address work–family issues and labor market discrimination that may help to increase female labor force participation and narrow gender inequities in the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bohnet, Iris, Oliver P. Hauser & Ariella S. Kristal (2025): Can gender and race dynamics in performance appraisals be disrupted? The case of social influence. In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Jg. 235. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107032

Abstract

"We document gender and race dynamics in performance evaluations in a multi-national company, examining the impacts of a feature of the performance appraisal process: managers’ knowledge of employees’ self-evaluations. Generally, (White) women were rated higher than men and people of color were rated lower than White employees. Women of color gave themselves the lowest self-ratings. When self-evaluations were unavailable due to a quasi-exogenous shock, manager and self-ratings were less correlated. However, gender and race gaps remained unchanged as managers anchored on previous years’ ratings. Based onsuggestive evidence, women of color without an employment history benefitted from their self-ratings not being shared." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Boneva, Teodora, Marta Golin, Katja Kaufmann & Christopher Rauh (2025): Beliefs About Maternal Labour Supply. In: The Economic Journal. 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))

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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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Brandl, Julia, David G. Allen, Christian Grund & Anna Sender (2025): A new look at pay disclosure: Employee initiatives, multiple perspectives, and voids in legal rules. In: German Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 39, H. 3, S. 179-197. DOI:10.1177/23970022251346594

Abstract

"This article introduces the special issue on Pay disclosure: Implications for Human Resource Management in the German Journal of Human Resource Management. Previous research largely assumed employer agency in designing pay disclosure practices. Recent legislation regarding pay disclosure in many countries and an increasing role of employees have to be considered, though. Differences in actors’ attitudes toward pay disclosure and voids in legal rules then lead to multiple perspectives on the nature of pay disclosure. Based on the articles in this special issue, we outline how these themes constitute a challenge for managing actors and an exciting research opportunity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Brenøe, Anne Ardila, Urša Krenk, Andreas Steinhauer & Josef Zweimüller (2025): How Do Firms Respond to Parental Leave Absences? (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20140), London, 42 S.

Abstract

"How do firms adjust their labor demand when a female employee takes temporary leave after childbirth? Using Austrian administrative data, we compare firms with and without a birth event and exploit policy reforms that significantly altered leave durations. We find that (i) firms adjust hiring, employment, and wages around leave periods, but these effects fade quickly; (ii) adjustments differ sharply by gender, reflecting strong gender segregation within firms; (iii) longer leave entitlements extend actual leave absences but have only short-term effects; and (iv) there is no impact on firm closure up to five years after birth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Burke, Vanessa, Ho Kwan Cheung & Lisa M. Finkelstein (2025): Exploring midlife identity negotiations in the context of the gender career gap: an interdisciplinary conceptual framework. In: Work, Aging and Retirement, S. 1-21. DOI:10.1093/workar/waae023

Abstract

"The gender gaps in career outcomes (e.g., pay, promotion, leadership opportunities) observably widen during mid-career, yet research often neglects considerations of gendered age identities in explaining this disparity. The present paper addresses this through an integrative review of interdisciplinary literature and proposes a novel theoretical framework that combines midlife development and gender identity negotiations to better understand mid-career disparities. In this review, we (1) adopt an inter-categorical approach to explore how workers navigate the overlapping systems of gender and age in the workplace, (2) critically review midlife development literature, highlighting significant oversights in organizational research, and (3) we introduce a process model of midlife gendered identity negotiations. We detail the model, describing the antecedents, mechanisms, and outcomes of gendered aging identity negotiations on mid-career inequities. We provide a foundation for advancing research and designing interventions to address gender disparities in mid-career outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Burns, Natasha, Kristina Minnick, Jeffry Netter & Laura Starks (2025): Gender Pay Gap and Cultural Values. In: Journal of financial and quantitative analysis, S. 1-66. 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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Buzard, Kristy, Laura K. Gee & Olga B. Stoddard (2025): Who You Gonna Call? Gender Inequality in External Demands for Parental Involvement. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 33775), Cambridge, Mass, 94 S.

Abstract

"Gender imbalance in time spent on child rearing causes gender inequalities in labor market outcomes, human capital accumulation, and economic mobility. We conduct a large-scale field experiment with a near-universe of US schools to investigate a potential source of inequality: external demands for parental involvement. Schools receive an email from a fictitious two-parent household and are asked to call one of the parents back. Mothers are 1.4 times more likely than fathers to be contacted. We decompose this inequality and demonstrate that the gender gap in external demands is associated with various measures of gender norms. We also show that signaling a father's availability substantially changes the gender pattern of callbacks. Our findings underscore a process through which agents outside the household contribute to within-household gender inequalities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bächmann, Ann-Christin, Andreas Filser & Corinna Frodermann (2025): Väter, die länger in Elternzeit sind, arbeiten auch längerfristig weniger (Serie "Equal Pay Day 2025"). In: IAB-Forum H. 07.04.2025. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250407.01

Abstract

"Die Verdienste von Vätern, die nach der Geburt ihres ersten Kindes Elternzeit nehmen, steigen in den darauffolgenden Jahren im Schnitt etwas langsamer als die Verdienste von Vätern, die auf Elternzeit verzichten. Dies hängt stark damit zusammen, dass insbesondere Väter, die mehr als zwei Monate in Elternzeit gehen, danach zum Beispiel häufiger in Teilzeit arbeiten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Böheim, René, David Pichler & Christine Zulehner (2025): Gendered labour market dynamics across generations: Parental and local determinants of the daugther-son pay gap. (Working paper / Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler Universität of Linz 2025-05-00), Linz, 29 S.

Abstract

"We examine how parental and local factors shape the gender pay gap between daughters and sons. Maternal labor market attachment significantly reduces gender disparities as it increases daughters' earnings in adulthood relative to that of sons. We find that maternal employment has minimal effects on pre-parenthood earnings gaps. However, it substantially mitigates post-parenthood disparities as daughters return to the labour market more quickly after childbirth. Paternal employment in manufacturing and construction is linked to larger gender pay gaps and lower likelihoods of sons taking paternity leave. At the municipal level, higher female employment rates and education levels are associated with narrower gender gaps, whereas conservative norms and manufacturing employment exacerbate them." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Caparrós Ruiz, Antonio (2025): Gender wage gap among highly educated workers: some evidence from Spain. In: Journal of Economic Studies, Jg. 52, H. 6, S. 1171-1188. DOI:10.1108/jes-06-2024-0371

Abstract

"Purpose: The study aims to estimate wage models controlled for sample selection bias and apply the traditional Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition to examine the genderwage gap. Design/methodology/Approach: This research provides new evidence concerning the drivers of the gender pay gap for highly educated workers in Spain. Findings: The results show the existence of empirical evidence about the presence of the gender wage gap among tertiary-educated workers. An interesting conclusion is that holding a master’s degree hasa positive impact since it diminishes the unexplained component of the gender pay gap. Research limitations/implications: The survey used only analyses the labor insertion of tertiary-educated workers and its temporal scope does not allow us to examine the evolution of the gender wage gap throughout their careers. Social implications: The findings indicate that there is room for the implementation of policies aimed at diminishing gender inequality in the labor market even for highly educated workers, which could complement the current Spanish labor legislation regulating the gender pay gap in firms. Originality/value: This paper bridges two bodies of the economic literature: human capital returns and the gender wage gap. The data used represent a contribution to the economic literature." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((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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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, S. 1-31. 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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Collischon, Matthias (2025): Elterngeld: Mindest- und Höchstbetrag haben seit der Einführung real 27 Prozent an Wert verloren. In: IAB-Forum – Grafik aktuell H. 20.03.2025. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.GA.20250320.01

Abstract

"Die Geburtenrate in Deutschland ist niedrig, laut statistischem Bundesamt lag sie im Jahr 2023 bei 1,35 Geburten je Frau. Die Politik versucht einen Anreiz zum Kinderkriegen zu schaffen, unter anderem mit dem Elterngeld, das 2007 eingeführt wurde. Der Mindestbetrag liegt hier bei 300 Euro im Monat, der Höchstbetrag bei 1.800 Euro. Diese Beträge wurden, im Gegensatz zu anderen Sozialleistungen, seit der Einführung nicht angepasst und haben somit effektiv an Wert verloren." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Conroy, Tessa, Jie Wu & Steven Deller (2025): Childcare availability and Women’s earnings in the U.S. In: Review of Economics of the Household. DOI:10.1007/s11150-025-09787-0

Abstract

"Extensive research shows that women earn less than men, and mothers earn less than women without children. In fact, the “motherhood penalty” accounts for much of the remaining gender wage gap. Since having children can reduce women’s earnings, access to childcare may play a crucial role in mitigating this effect and boosting women’s income. In this study we consider descriptive evidence of the relationship between childcare availability, defined geographically at the county level, and local women’s earnings. To account for potential spatial spillovers from childcare markets extending beyond county boundaries, we employ a spatial econometric model. This method is well suited for studying childcare markets which function regionally and their local economic effects, as well as for considering variation in this relationship by rurality. We find that in places with greater access to childcare, annual median women earnings are higher as is the ratio of female to male earnings. We also find evidence of interactions between neighboring places, highlighting the reality of cross-community childcare demand and need for regionally-informed childcare policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Corsten, Claire, Rebecca Daviddi & Jan Doering (2025): Empowered by Adversity? Exit, Voice, and Silence in the Aftermath of Gender Discrimination at Work. In: Gender & Society, Jg. 39, H. 3, S. 405-430. DOI:10.1177/08912432251326916

Abstract

"Social psychological research suggests that workplace discrimination harms women’s self-confidence and mental health, which may lead them to remain silent or quit their jobs after facing discrimination. However, feminist scholarship argues that discrimination can generate feminist consciousness and resistance. To interrogate these conflicting expectations, we draw on in-depth interviews with professional women to examine exit, voice, and silence in discrimination ’s aftermath. We find that some women remain silent or exit organizations in search of less hostile environments. Others, however, develop feminist consciousness, voice complaints, and sometimes accomplish hard-fought changes within their organizations. To explain these divergent responses, we identify support networks as a crucial mechanism. Support networks help women avoid self-blame and rumination by resolving the ambiguity that frequently obscures discrimination. Support networks also spread awareness of discrimination and generate feminist solidarity. In doing so, they encourage women to contest negative treatment by exercising voice. Implications for the study of workplace discrimination, the debate over the stalled gender revolution, and occupational segregation are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Coskun Dalgic, Sena & Gonul Sengul (2025): Unpacking the Link between Service Sector and Female Employment: Cross-Country Evidence. (IAB-Discussion Paper 08/2025), Nürnberg, 25 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2508

Abstract

"Der starke Anstieg der Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen war in den letzten Jahrzehnten ein bestimmendes Merkmal der hochentwickelten Volkswirtschaften. Dieses Papier untersucht die länderübergreifenden Unterschiede im Zusammenhang zwischen der Expansion des Dienstleistungssektors und der Beschäftigung von Frauen in Europa und den USA. Wir schätzen die Elastizität der Frauenbeschäftigung im Verhältnis zur Beschäftigung im Dienstleistungssektor und decken erhebliche Unterschiede zwischen den Ländern hinsichtlich der Stärke auf, mit der der weibliche Anteil an den Arbeitsstunden auf die Expansion des Dienstleistungssektors reagiert. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass diese Elastizität in Ländern mit einem stärkeren Strukturwandel und einer höheren weiblichen Beschäftigungsintensität im Unternehmensdienstleistungssektor höher ist. Darüber hinaus ist eine höhere weibliche Beschäftigungsintensität im Unternehmensdienstleistungssektor mit einem größeren Lebensmittel- und Beherbergungssektor verbunden. Diese Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass Länder mit einer stärkeren Umverteilung von der Industrie zum Dienstleistungssektor einen stärkeren Anstieg der weiblichen Beschäftigung erlebten, da ihr expandierender Unternehmensdienstleistungssektor zusätzliches Wachstum im Lebensmittel- und Beherbergungssektor erzeugte und Frauen dadurch stärker in die Erwerbsarbeit zog." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Coskun Dalgic, Sena, Hermann Gartner & Ahmet Ali Taskin (2025): Rent Sharing and the Gender Bargaining Gap: Evidence from the Banking Sector. (IAB-Discussion Paper 06/2025), Nürnberg, 40 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2506

Abstract

"Wir nutzen den Wegfall staatlicher Bankgarantien in Deutschland als quasi-natürliches Experiment, um den Unterschied zwischen Männern und Frauen bei der Verhandlungsmacht abzuschätzen. Anhand umfassender Lohndaten von Bankangestellten, kombiniert mit Finanzinformationen auf Bankebene, stellen wir fest, dass Frauen etwa zwei Drittel der Verhandlungsmacht von Männern haben. Unsere modellbasierte Analyse legt nahe, dass diese geschlechtsspezifische Verhandlungsmacht allein 13 bis 25 Prozent der beobachteten geschlechtsspezifischen Lohnlücke in der Branche ausmacht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine wichtige Ursache der Lohnunterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen: Eine Veränderung der Profitabilität von Firmen kannn die geschlechtsspezifische Lohnlücke verringern, ohne dass sich die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter strukturell verbessert. Dieser Effekt hat erhebliche Auswirkungen auf Branchen mit hohen Profiten und hoher Ungleichheit wie der Finanzbranche, in denen der Modus der Verteilung der Profite männliche Beschäftigte begünstigt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Coskun Dalgic, Sena (2025): Gender convergence in all areas: Is it a myth? In: IAB-Forum H. 29.08.2025, 2025-08-27. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250829.02

Abstract

"While men and women are increasingly found in the same occupations, a surprising trend has emerged: Sectors are becoming more gender-segregated over time. Are these patterns shaped by discriminatory hiring practices or by individual preferences? Examining this question offers new insights into the complex dynamics behind gendered labour market outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cross, Christine, Colette Darcy & Thomas Garavan (2025): Work re-entry following maternity leave for first-time mothers: An events, social identity and intersectional theories informed identity work framework. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 32, H. 2, S. 590-609. DOI:10.1111/gwao.13162

Abstract

"Many first-time mothers experience significant identity issues on work re-entry following maternity leave, an important individual and life-related event. Work re-entry prompts significant identity tensions leading to identity work challenges and potential career changes. We address this significant life event and develop a subjective identity informed conceptual framework explaining its key components and outcomes. We propose that for first-time mothers, re-entry following maternity leave triggers a cognitive and subjective assessment of identity threat and opportunity leading to the use of multiple identity work strategies to address personal, role, and collective identities. We analyze the impacts of these reworked identities and identity work for career decision making and outcomes. We theoretically underpin our framework using event systems, a subjective perspective on social identity and intersectional theories and in doing so, propose future research questions and highlight implications for national policy and organizational practices." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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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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Daiger von Gleichen, Rosa (2025): Employer-provided childcare across the 50 United States: the normative importance of public childcare and female leadership. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 54, H. 2, S. 574-594. DOI:10.1017/S0047279423000491

Abstract

"Employer family policy tends to be conceived as employers’ response to economic pressures, with the relevance of normative factors given comparatively little weight. This study questions this status quo, examining the normative relevance of public childcare and female leadership to employer childcare. Logistic regression analyses are performed on data from the 2016 National Study of Employers (NSE), a representative study of private sector employers in the United States. The findings show that public childcare is relevant for those forms of employer childcare more plausibly explained as the result of employers’ normative as opposed to economic considerations. The findings further suggest that female leaders are highly relevant for employer childcare, but that this significance differs depending on whether the form of employer childcare is more likely of economic versus normative importance to employers. The study provides an empirical contribution in that it is the first to use representative data of the United States to examine the relevance of state-level public childcare and female leadership. Its theoretical contribution is to show that normative explanations for employer childcare provision are likely underestimated in U.S. employer family policy research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dane, Cemre & Pia Heckl (2025): The Transmission of Gender (In-)Equality Through Commercial Links. In: EconPol Forum, Jg. 26, H. 3, S. 58-61.

Abstract

"Global firms employ significantly more women than non-global firms. Commercial ties serve as channels for transmitting social norms from partner countries, influencing workforce composition in global firms. Exposure to gender-equal norms increases the share of female workers across job types – but not in top management positions, where the effect vanishes. In gender-unequal commercial environments, global firms are significantly less likely to have female top managers, suggesting a “race to the bottom” in leadership. To ensure inclusive benefits of globalization, policy interventions should focus on advancing women into senior roles, where equality gains currently fall short." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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De Nardi, Mariacristina, Giulio Fella & Gonzalo Paz-Pardo (2025): Wage Risk and Government and Spousal Insurance. In: The Review of Economic Studies, Jg. 92, H. 2, S. 954-980. DOI:10.1093/restud/rdae042

Abstract

"The extent to which households can self-insure depends on family structure and wage risk. We calibrate a model of couples and singles’ savings and labour supply under two types of wage processes. The first wage process is the canonical—age-independent, linear—one that is typically used to evaluate government insurance provision. The second wage process is a flexible one. We use our model to evaluate the optimal mix of the two most common types of means-tested benefits—IW versus income floor. The canonical wage process underestimates wage persistence for women and thus implies that IW benefits should account for most benefit income. In contrast, the richer wage process that matches the wage data well, implies that the income floor should be the main benefit source, similarly to the system in place in the U.K. This stresses that allowing for rich wage dynamics is important to properly evaluate policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Demiral, Elif E., Macie Addley & Erin Taylor (2025): Closing the gender negotiation gap: The power of entitlements, In: Journal of Economic Psychology, Jg. 106. DOI:10.1016/j.joep.2024.102786

Abstract

"Women are less likely to negotiate for their labor market outcomes than men and this finding is linked to the gender gaps in economic outcomes. Through a wage negotiation experiment, we investigate how entitlements influence gender differences in negotiation likelihood. We manipulate the formation of entitlements by employing different hiring methods. Our results reveal that when the hiring process is based on luck (random treatment), men are more prone to negotiate than women. In the condition where the hiring process lacks transparency (unknown treatment), the gender gap declines and remains muted. When the hiring process is transparently grounded on merit (entitlement treatment), women react by displaying higher negotiation likelihood, and the gender gap in negotiation not only declines but reverses in direction. These findings underscore the potential of transparent and merit-based recruitment practices in mitigating gender disparities within labor market outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Deschacht, Nick, Sunčica Vujić & Oscar Frison (2025): The Greedy Jobs Phenomenon as a Driving Force Behind the Gender Pay Gap: A Systematic Review. In: De Economist, Jg. 173, H. 1, S. 177-204. DOI:10.1007/s10645-024-09444-4

Abstract

"Greedy jobs can be defined as jobs in which temporal flexibility for workers is costly to organize and in which there are rewards for long hours and constant availability to employers. Despite the mechanisms underlying this concept being familiar to labor economists studying the determinants of the gender wage gap, the label greedy work is not widely utilized in the literature on gender inequality. We therefore provide an identification and systematic review of articles that (implicitly) relate the gender wage gap to greedy jobs. Our findings underscore the importance of policy interventions aimed at promoting workplace flexibility, worker substitutability, provision of affordable childcare solutions, and cash transfers to parents, making jobs less greedy and therefore more compatible with tasks at home." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Detemple, Jonas (2025): Partnerships as signposts? The role of spatial mobility in gendered earnings benefits of graduates. In: Advances in life course research, Jg. 63. DOI:10.1016/j.alcr.2024.100656

Abstract

"This study analyzes the gender-specific impact of spatial mobility on earnings after graduation from higher education, extending previous research on graduates’ mobility benefits, which has largely ignored gender-specific mechanisms. Based on household economic and gender role considerations, this study argues that partnerships are associated with solidifying gender differences in mobility-related earnings benefits. The study uses data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), Starting Cohort First-Year Students (SC5), and applies entropy balancing weights to account for the self-selection of mobile graduates. General linear models show a weak correlation between overal graduate mobility and higher earnings and that gender differences are rather small and depend on the type of mobility. However, looking at the role of partnerships, female graduates benefit significantly less from short-distance mobility when cohabiting with a partner than their non-cohabiting counterparts, while cohabiting male graduates benefit significantly more from long-distance mobility. The findings contribute to the literature by highlighting the crucial role of partnerships in the gendered mobility benefits of graduates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

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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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Diallo, Yaya, Fabian Lange & Laetitia Renée (2025): Can Paternity Leave Reduce the Gender Earnings Gap? (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17624), Bonn, 38 S.

Abstract

"This paper examines the impact of paternity leave on the gender gap in labor market outcomes. Utilizing administrative data from Canadian tax records, we analyze the introduction of Quebec's 2006 paternity leave policy, which offers five weeks of paid leave exclusively to fathers. Using mothers and fathers of children born around the reform, we estimate how the policy impacted labor market outcomes up to 10 years following birth. The reform significantly increased fathers' uptake of parental leave and reduced their earnings immediately after the reform. However, in the medium to long-run, we find that the reform did not impact earnings, employment, or the probability of being employed in a high-wage industry for either parent. We for instance find a 95%-CI for the effect on average female earnings 3-10 years following the reform ranging from -2.2 to +1.7%. Estimates of effects on other outcomes and for males are similarly precise zeros. There is likewise no evidence that the reform changed social norms around care-taking and family responsibilities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Diehl, Claudia, Julia Lang, Ole Brüggemann & Susanne Strauss (2025): Is My Wage Fair? Validating Fairness Perceptions among Women and Men. In: Socius, Jg. 11, S. 1-21., 2025-07-22. DOI:10.1177/23780231251366126

Abstract

"The authors examine gender differences in perceptions of the fairness of one’s own pay. This work differs from previous studies, as the authors not only assess whether women are as likely as men to perceive their pay as unfair at the same absolute wage levels. Instead, they use an innovative methodology based on linked employer-employee data. This makes it possible to compare subjective perceptions of (un)fair pay with the predicted pay of comparable others with the same individual-, work-, occupation-, and firm-related characteristics. The authors use the measurement of how closely a person’s pay aligns with the predicted pay of comparable others as a strictly empirical indicator of whether someone’s pay is fair. Overall, women are as likely as men to perceive a fair wage as unfair or an unfair wage as fair. Although the data at hand do not make it possible to explore the causes of this, or to assess whether women and men used to differ more in their perceptions of fairness, the authors speculate that women today may be more aware of the societal debate about gender-based wage discrimination, and their perceptions of appropriate compensation may be less influenced by gendered comparison groups and gender status beliefs than previous research has suggested." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © SAGE) ((en))

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Diermeier, Matthias, Jan Engler, Melinda Fremerey & Leon Wansleben (2025): Kita-Versorgungsungleichheiten - eine Analyse auf Stadtteilebene. (IW-Kurzberichte / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2025,41), Köln, 3 S.

Abstract

"Der Zugang zu frühkindlicher Bildung hängt auch in Deutschland stark von der sozio-ökonomischen Segregation der Städte ab. Innerhalb derselben Stadt gibt es in wohlsituierten Vierteln im Durchschnitt ein Drittel mehr Kitas pro Anzahl Kinder als in sozio-ökonomisch prekären Räumen. Dieser Unterschied geht darauf zurück, dass sich konfessionelle- und private-gemeinnütze Kitas deutlich häufiger in prosperierenden Quartieren ansiedeln als in sozial schwachen Stadtteilen – öffentliche Kitas können dies nicht kompensieren." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Doan, Tinh, Liana Leach & Lyndall Strazdins (2025): The Economic Costs of Men's Long Work Hours for Women: Evidence on the Gender Wage Earnings Gap from Australia and Germany. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 179, H. 2, S. 1073-1100. DOI:10.1007/s11205-025-03647-1

Abstract

"Women’s earnings inequality persists, despite policy efforts to reduce discrimination and gender bias. Gender gaps in earnings, however, are a function of hours worked as well as wage rates, and reflect gendered short and long work hour patterns. Within households, how partners exchange time is a crucial driver of hours worked yet this is rarely incorporated into analysis of gender earning gaps. Using a two-stage instrumental variable Oaxaca- Blinder decomposition we model earnings gaps as a function of own and partner hours on and off the job. This enables us to estimate what the gender gap in hours and earnings would look like without a gendered time ‘subsidy’ or ‘borrowing’ in the home. We studied dual-earner households in two countries, Australia and Germany, finding a weekly earnings gap of AUD$536 and €400. This was accompanied by a weekly work hour gap of 12 h in Australia and 13 in Germany. When we accounted for the influence of partner’s hours (paid or unpaid), work hour gaps reduce to 5.1 h in Australian households (58% reduction), and to 6.9 h in German (47% reduction). In effect, women would work 3 to 4 h more each week, and men’s long hours would reduce, narrowing the gender earnings gaps by 43% in Australia and 25% in Germany, if time ‘subsidies’ in the home were eliminated. Our analysis reveals the economic cost to women long work hour cultures impose." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Dressel, Joanna, Paul Attewell, Liza Reisel & Kjersti Misje Østbakken (2025): Characteristics or Returns: Understanding Gender Pay Inequality among College Graduates in the USA. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 1, S. 185-201. DOI:10.1177/09500170241245329

Abstract

"Explanations for the persistent pay disparity between similarly qualified men and women vary between women’s different and devalued work characteristics and specific processes that result in unequal wage returns to the same characteristics. This article investigates how the gender wage gap is affected by gender differences in detailed work activities among full-time, year-round, college-graduate workers in the US using decomposition analysis in the National Survey of College Graduates. Differences in men’s and women’s characteristics account for a majority of the gender wage gap. Additionally, men and women receive different returns to several characteristics: occupational composition, marriage and work activities. While men are penalized more than women for having teaching as their primary work activity, women receive lower rewards for primary work activities such as finance and computer programming. The findings suggest that even with men and women becoming more similar on several characteristics, unequal returns to those characteristics will stall progress towards equality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Duvander, Ann-Zofie & Susanne Fahlén (2025): To Take Leave or Not to Take and How Long to Take? A Study on Swedish Fathers’ Parental Leave Use. In: Journal of Family Issues, Jg. 46, H. 6, S. 1050-1078. DOI:10.1177/0192513x251329594

Abstract

"Research on determinants of fathers’ parental leave use often focuses on fathers’ characteristics but leave out that decisions are negotiated with the mother. This study asks how fathers’ and mothers’ characteristics as well as their combination are associated with fathers’ leave use in Sweden, a country where parental leave sharing is encouraged. The results indicate that both fathers’ and mothers’ income and education matter for how long leave the father takes, albeit in gendered ways. Fathers with the lowest income tend not to use leave but if the mother also have no (or low) income, he will use long leave. Among middle-income fathers, a short leave is most common but if the mother has high income, they will instead use a long leave. Fathers’and mothers’ tertiary education are positively associated with leave and two tertiary educations lead to a long leave rather than a short leave." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Earle, Alison, Amy Raub, Aleta Sprague & Jody Heymann (2025): Progress towards gender equality in paid parental leave: an analysis of legislation in 193 countries from 1995–2022. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 28, H. 2, S. 172-192. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2023.2226809

Abstract

"Gender inequality in infant caregiving contributes to gender inequality in paid work, especially since workers often become parents during pivotal career stages. Whether women and men have equal access to paid leave for infant care can meaningfully shape patterns of caregiving in ways that have long-term economic impacts. We used a longitudinal database of paid leave policies in 193 countries to examine how the availability of paid leave for infant caregiving for each parent, the duration of leave reserved for each parent, and the existence of any incentives to encourage gender equity in leave-taking changed globally from 1995 to 2022. We find that the share of countries globally providing paid paternity leave increased four-fold from 13% to 56%, while the share providing paid maternity leave increased from 89% to 96%. Nevertheless, substantial gender disparities in leave duration persist: only 6% of the total paid leave available to families was reserved for fathers and an additional 11% of paid leave was available to either parent. Building on the global progress in providing paid leave to fathers over the past three decades will be critical to advancing gender equality at home and at work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ehab, Maye & Fatma Mossad (2025): Informal employment in the health sector: Examining gender disparities. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 34, H. 2, 2024-09-20. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12704

Abstract

"This paper investigates the association between informal employment as a form of non-standard employment and the prevalence of in-work poverty for women in the health sector. We measured in-work poverty using a binary indicator that provides information on whether an individual has earnings above or below the low earnings threshold. The indicator takes into account household size and whether other household members are also in paid work. Using data from the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey for the years 2012 and 2018 and logit models, we found that being employed within the health sector increased the likelihood of in-work poverty among non-standard employees, both men and women. However, higher risks of in-work poverty were witnessed among women working informally in the health sector compared to other sectors. This increased risk was particularly observed when comparing non-standard employment in the health sector to non-standard employment in non-health sectors. Furthermore, marital status plays a critical role in economic wellbeing, with never-married women being more susceptible to in-work poverty compared to ever-married women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Wiley) ((en))

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Elhinnawy, Hind, Morag Kennedy & Silvia Gomes (2025): From public to private: the gendered impact of COVID-19 pandemic on work-life balance and work-family balance. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 28, H. 2, S. 291-310. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2023.2265044

Abstract

"This article provides insights into the ways flexible, hybrid and work-from-home arrangements have impacted women during COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK. Based on 10 in-depth interviews with women living and working in the East Midlands, England, who turned to work from home during COVID lockdowns, this study found that despite heightened care needs and the additional burdens women faced during the pandemic, one silver lining was that flexible and hybrid work has positively impacted some. All women spoke about how the pandemic and associated restrictions have altered their conceptualisation of space both positively and negatively. Life during the pandemic gave participants extra care needs and added burdens, but it also gave them more space to be with family and to manage their lives more effectively. This sense of increased space for social and family bonding and life and time management was reduced (again) after the pandemic due to the difficulties women had to bear in balancing the demands of work and family obligations. This article contributes to the studies on the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on women's work-life-balance (WLB) and work-family-balance (WFB),demonstrating the need to think of innovative ways to support women's flexible work in the long term." (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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Escobedo, Anna & Peter Moss (2025): Parenting leave and gender in Spain: terminology, rationale and design. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-11. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2481861

Abstract

"This Policy Note examines moves to ‘de-gender’ parenting leaves, focusing on the case of Spain, where recent policy developments have replaced ‘Maternity leave’ and ‘Paternity leave’ with gender-neutral terms, and equalised fathers’ to mothers’ formal entitlements for these leaves at birth, instead of moving the focus to develop paid Parental leave. The rationale for and early results of change are considered, before adding examples of changes from other countries, some of which have taken a different approach to gender neutrality based on more extended periods of paid Parental leave accessible and affordable for both parents. Some of the issues raised by such developments are discussed, including whether moves to de-gender leave facilitate or hinder gender equality, the balance between rigidity and flexibility in leave policies, and the representation of children’s interests in leave policy. The conclusion of thePolicy Note is that gender neutral terminology, by itself, is insufficient and that leave policy design is necessary to incentivise more equal use and more equal impacts on parents, though even then the fundamental question remains: does re-design require equal treatment in all respects or do biological differences justify some differences in leave policy?" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Famira-Mühlberger, Ulrike & Klaus Nowotny (2025): Predicting the Uptake of Long-Term Care Benefits in Austria. (WIFO working papers 707), Wien, 32 S.

Abstract

"We use administrative microdata and statistical learning methods to analyse how personal characteristics and the consumption of healthcare services help predict the first-time receipt of "long-term care allowance" (LTCA), a needs-tested cash-for-care benefit in Austria. Our findings suggest that short-term information from the health-care sector, particularly in the quarter prior to LTCA enrolment, provides substantial explanatory power. Apart from old age, the most influential predictors include the frequency of doctor visits and hospital stays as well as diagnoses such as dementia, cerebral infarction, and hypertension. Our findings emphasise the importance of data-driven approaches in anticipating the uptake of long-term care benefits and informing policy, especially against the background of the demographic transition." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Farré, Lídia, Libertad González, Claudia Hupkau & Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela (2025): Paternity leave in Spain. (CEP discussion paper / Centre for Economic Performance 2111), London, 47 S.

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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Fernández-Cornejo, José Andrés, Cristina Castellanos-Serrano, Eva Del Pozo-García, Maite Palomo-Vadillo, Juan Ignacio Cáceres-Ruiz & Lorenzo Escot (2025): Do I feel entitled to it? Caring dads after the equalization of parental leave in Spain. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 45, H. 3/4, S. 346-364. DOI:10.1108/ijssp-08-2024-0406

Abstract

"Purpose: In January 2021, Spanish paid parental leave for fathers was fully equated with that for mothers. Is this facilitating working fathers developing an identity of caring fathers? Design/methodology/approach We conducted qualitative research based on 31 interviews with heterosexual fathers residing in Spain, who had a child from January 1, 2021 onwards, who cohabited with the baby ’s mother, and who were salaried. We also added two mothers with the same characteristics and seven human resources managers from large companies. Findings There has been a rapid acceptance and normalization of the use of these new equalized leaves. For many fathers this has been accompanied by the experience of a greater sense of “being legitimized ” to engage in caregiving. The intensity of this process could be subject to two opposing forces. One in favor, especially when fathers care alone for as long as possible; and one against, when fathers assume the role of the mother’s helper and when the support of significant and relevant others is lacking in several domains, including the work place. Social implications Whether this ambivalence is resolved in favor of advancement could depend on how successful public policy is. Reforms of parental leave systems should encourage men to take on single-handed care, and companies should be encouraged to become more aware of the need for co-responsibility between fathers and mothers in childcare. Originality/value Spain now has one of the most gender-equal parental leave systems in the world. It is important to know what meaning new fathers are giving to this advance and to what extent this is facilitating the emergence of a caregiving masculinity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © EmeraldGroup) ((en))

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Ferragina, Emanuele (2025): The 'two lives' of Esping-Andersen and the revival of a research program: Gender equality, employment and redistribution in contemporary social policy. In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 59, H. 1, S. 1-19. DOI:10.1111/spol.13029

Abstract

"This article makes two conceptual contributions to social policy literature. First, we summarise key concepts and insights from Gøsta Esping-Andersen's major books, tracing his work in ‘two lives’: ‘the foundations, or the welfare state between states and markets’ and ‘the demographic turn’. Analyzing the ‘first life’, we revisit the centrality of the decommodification and social stratification concepts and the seeds of the social investment approach. Further, we explore Esping-Andersen's masterful analysis of the double bind of the welfare state (supporting full-employment and redistributional harmony) in a post-industrial era and how countries belonging to different regimes have dealt with it. Through his ‘second life’, we explore the ‘impossible marriage’ between full employment and equality, and the development of the social investment approach. Our second contribution is to critically analyse a tension—generated by the shift from a broad to a narrow social policy perspective—between the two lives and how it raises questions for contemporary social policy. We suggest the field should take stock of Esping-Andersen's work holistically, going beyond a simplistic use of welfare regime typologies and the universal proposition of a Scandinavian-style social investment approach. This approach tends to overlook factors related to the international context (e.g., the expansion of the market logic, and questions of exchange, inflation and debt) when assessing the impact of social policy on key outcomes. Our ultimate goal is to revive a research program based on the integration between social policy and international political economy, a program geared at critically assessing issues related to gender equality, employment and redistribution." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((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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Feuillade, Mylène, Dominique Goux & Eric Maurin (2025): Rise in Home Working and Spousal Labor Supply. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17997), Bonn, 55 S.

Abstract

"This article explores how an employee's choice to work from home (WFH) influences his or her spouse's outcomes. Drawing on the specific features of the French institutions, we show that a spouse's switch to WFH leads to a sharp increase in the probability that his or her partner will also switch to WFH, as well as in the number of hours worked by the partner. These cross-effects are particularly strong on the better-paid partner within the couple (whether the man or the woman) who appears to condition his or her decision to work from home on that of his or her (less-paid) partner. The effects of WFH on the volume of hours worked are greatly underestimated when spillovers within couples are neglected. On the other hand, we detect no significant effect on partners' commuting distance, nor on the type of urban unit they choose to live in." (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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Fortes de Lena, Fernanda & Diederik Boertien (2025): A Marriage Premium for Whom? Sexual Identity, Relationship Status and Earnings. In: Journal of Marriage and Family, S. 1-19. DOI:10.1111/jomf.70005

Abstract

"Objective: This article aims to understand how relationship status is associated with earnings among LGB people. Background: Previous research has found that marriage is related to higher earnings for men and lower earnings for women, but has not often considered whether this holds across different sexual identities. Method: We use the longitudinal Understanding Society data from the UK to show how the earnings of LGB individuals are associated with relationship status (single, non-residential partner, residential partner, married). Results: Cohabiting or married men generally earn more compared to single men, regardless of sexual identity. However, gay men's earnings only increase after marrying, whereas heterosexual and bisexual men's earnings increase after entering any co-residential relationship. This suggests that gay men might receive more social support or employer approval after entering a normative relationship form. Heterosexual women start earning less after marriage, whereas the impact of changes in relationship status on earnings is relatively small and non-significant for bisexual and lesbian women. These results are largely explained by paid and unpaid work hours, suggesting that the division of labor within relationships lowers earnings among heterosexual women but not among LGB women. Conclusion: LGB women's earnings depend relatively little on changes in relationship status. At the same time, gay men only receive premiums related to having a partner once they marry." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fraja, Gianni de & Jozsef Sakovics (2025): Discrimination Spillovers, Glass Ceilings and Pay Gaps. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20056), London, 59 S.

Abstract

"This paper is a theoretical analysis of the consequences of workplace discrimination. We prove that discrimination against a group at lower levels of the hierarchy affects the pay of members of the same group at higher levels, leading to a "pay gap" relative to non-discriminated workers. These spillovers in turn induce firms to alter the match between workers and jobs for the discriminated group, potentially leading to a "glass ceiling". The phenomenon can occur even in firms where "equal pay for equal jobs" appears to be adhered to. The explanation is based on the standard participation and incentive constraints: the need to compensate workers for the direct discrimination they suffer, to induce them to work, and the need to maintain pay differentials between job levels, to provide effort incentives. We end the paper showing that neither competition among workers, nor competition among firms for workers eliminates these spillovers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fredriksson, Peter, Dogan Gülümser & Lena Hensvik (2025): Outside Job Opportunities and the Gender Gap in Pay. (RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2025,71), Berlin, 48 S.

Abstract

"We show that the wages of men and women are differentially affected by outside options, and that these differential responses contribute to the gender pay gap. We develop a simple model of on-the-job search that integrates two crucial gender differences: job preferences and the propensity to renegotiate wages in response to external offers. Both factors contribute to lower wage responsiveness for women when they receive outside offers, and a negative female-male pay gap. However, women’s job mobility responses vary depending on the underlying mechanism. To empirically test our model’s predictions, we analyze wageand job mobility responses of men and women to external job opportunities, mediated through family networks. Using Swedish register data, we find that improved outside options are associated with higher within-job wage growth for men but not for women. Importantly, we can rule out that these gendered responses arise from differences in the quality of external offers as these are balanced across genders by design. Additionally, men’s and women’s job mobility responses are very similar. In the light of the model, we attribute these findings to differences in negotiation behavior between men and women. Policies encouraging women to bargain in response to outside options may thus be a powerful tool for reducing the remaining within-job gender gap in pay." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fuchs, Michaela, Antje Weyh & Gabriele Wydra-Somaggio (2025): Die spezifische Berufs- und Betriebsstruktur vor Ort führt zu deutlichen regionalen Unterschieden in der Lohnlücke zwischen Männern und Frauen (Serie "Equal Pay Day 2025"). In: IAB-Forum H. 05.03.2025 Nürnberg. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250318.01

Abstract

"Frauen in Deutschland verdienen im Schnitt deutlich weniger als Männer. Weniger bekannt ist, dass sich der sogenannte Gender-Pay-Gap zwischen einzelnen Regionen deutlich unterscheidet. So verdienen vollzeitbeschäftigte Männer in Dingolfing-Landau gut 40 Prozent mehr als vollzeitbeschäftigte Frauen, in Dessau-Roßlau 1,2 Prozent weniger. Eine wichtige Erklärung bieten regionale Geschlechterunterschiede in den ausgeübten Berufen und in der Betriebsstruktur vor Ort." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Fuchs, Michaela, Anja Rossen, Antje Weyh & Gabriele Wydra-Somaggio (2025): Regionale Unterschiede im Gender Pay Gap in Deutschland 2023. (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung. Aktuelle Daten und Indikatoren), Nürnberg, 16 S.

Abstract

"Die vorliegenden Auswertungen beinhalten Angaben zum Tagesentgelt sozialversicherungspflichtig vollzeitbeschäftigter Frauen und Männer sowie zum unbereinigten und bereinigten Gender Pay Gap in den Bundesländern und Kreisen Deutschlands für das Jahr 2023. Nähere Erläuterungen zu den Einflussfaktoren auf die unterschiedlichen regionalen Gender Pay Gaps finden sich im IAB-Forumsbeitrag von Fuchs, Weyh und Wydra-Somaggio (2025). Wir nutzen Daten der Beschäftigtenhistorik (BeH) des IAB. Die BeH enthält u. a. Angaben zum täglichen Bruttoarbeitsentgelt aller sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigten. Das Bruttoentgelt enthält auch Sonderzahlungen, wie beispielsweise Weihnachts- oder Urlaubsgeld, bezahlte Überstunden oder Nacht- und Feiertagszuschläge. Als regionalen Lohn verwenden wir den Durchschnitt des nominalen Bruttotagesentgelts aller sozialversicherungspflichtig vollzeitbeschäftigten Frauen und Männer (ohne Auszubildende) mit Arbeitsort in dem betrachteten Kreis zum Stichtag 30.06.2023. Die Angaben aus der BeH ergänzen wir mit Informationen aus den Integrierten Erwerbsbiographien (IEB). Hierdurch wird die Erwerbsbiographie der einzelnen Personen berücksichtigt und gewährleistet, dass auch Zeiten der Nichtbeschäftigung Berücksichtigung finden. Betriebliche Merkmale ergänzen wir aus dem Betriebs-Historik-Panel (BHP). Für die Analyse der Lohnlücke zwischen Frauen und Männern greifen wir auf die klassische Oaxaca-Blinder-Zerlegungsmethode (Oaxaca 1973 und Blinder 1973) zurück. Hierbei werden für die Kreise zunächst getrennte Schätzungen der logarithmierten Löhne für Frauen und für Männer durchgeführt, um die geschlechtsspezifischen Einflüsse der berücksichtigten individuellen und betriebsspezifischen Bestimmungsfaktoren zu quantifizieren. Individuelle Merkmale der Beschäftigten umfassen Alter, Nationalität, Qualifikation, Beruf und die Dauer einer möglichen Erwerbsunterbrechung (siehe Fuchs u. a. 2019a). Wir berücksichtigen zudem, ob die Person einen befristeten Arbeitsvertrag oder eine Führungsposition innehat. Da die Arbeitskräftemobilität zwischen den Kreisen teilweise sehr groß ist, kontrollieren wir außerdem für Pendeln zum Arbeitsort sowie dafür, wie lange eine Person schon an ihrem aktuellen Arbeitsort tätig ist. Zu den berücksichtigten Merkmalen der Betriebe, in denen die Beschäftigten arbeiten, zählen die Betriebsgröße, die Qualifikationsstruktur im Betrieb und die mittlere Lohnhöhe wie auch die Lohnspreizung im Betrieb (Fuchs u. a. 2019b). Aufgrund der starken Korrelation zwischen der Berufs- und Branchenvariable verwenden wir in den Modellen nur den Beruf, den eine Person ausübt." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Fuchs-Schündeln, Nicola, Andreas Peichl, Carla Krolage & Stefan Bach (2025): Kann eine Reform der Ehegattenbesteuerung die Beschäftigung erhöhen? – Eine Fachdiskussion mit Ökonominnen und Ökonomen im BMWK. In: Schlaglichter der Wirtschaftspolitik H. 5, S. 17-22.

Abstract

"In Wissenschaft und Politik wird seit langem intensiv und zunehmend auch evidenzbasiert debattiert, ob und inwiefern die steuerliche Behandlung der Erwerbseinkünfte von Ehepaaren ökonomische Fehlanreize generiert und insbesondere für Zweitverdienende – überwiegend Frauen – ein Beschäftigungshindernis darstellt. Zudem stellt sich die Wissenschaft die Frage, ob die fehlende Berücksichtigung alternativer Familienmodelle und der Existenz von Kindern im Rahmen des Ehegattensplittings noch zeitgemäß ist und fordert eine Anpassung der Regelungen. Die Ampelkoalition hatte sich im Koalitionsvertrag für die 20. Legislaturperiode auf eine Reform bei den Lohnsteuerklassen geeinigt: Die Lohnsteuerklassenkombination III/V sollte in das Faktorverfahren der Lohnsteuerklasse IV überführt werden. Ziel war es, für mehr Fairness bei der unterjährigen Lohnbesteuerung zu sorgen und so Erwerbsimpulse zu setzen. Die Maßnahme war zwar im Regierungsentwurf für ein Steuerfortentwicklungsgesetz enthalten, wurde aber letztlich nicht mehr vom Bundestag beschlossen. Vor diesem Hintergrund hat das BMWK Anfang Februar 2025 zu einem Seminar eingeladen, um mit namhaften Ökonominnen und Ökonomen die Anreizwirkungen der bestehenden Ehegattenbesteuerung zu diskutieren und wirtschaftspolitisch sinnvolle Reformoptionen für die 21. Legislaturperiode zu beleuchten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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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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Galego, Aurora (2025): Recent trends in the gender wage gap in Portugal: a distributional analysis. In: Applied Economics Letters, Jg. 32, H. 3, S. 369-372. DOI:10.1080/13504851.2023.2270223

Abstract

"Portugal displays a persistent gender wage gap which increased during the 2010-2013 economic crisis. This paper aims at examining the developments in the gender wage gap for the private sector from 2009 to 2019 using a decomposition across the wage distribution. We conclude that the gap has decreased at the lower and middle quantiles but remains quite wide at the top. The largest part of the gap stems from the structure effect, which suggests persistent discrimination." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gambaro, Ludovica, Clara Schäper & C. Katharina Spieß (2025): Crowded-out? Changes in informal childcare during the expansion of formal services in Germany. In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 59, H. 3, S. 383-398. DOI:10.1111/spol.13067

Abstract

"Informal childcare care by grandparents, other relatives or friends is an important source of support in many Western countries, including Germany. Yet the role of this type of care is often overlooked in accounts of social policies supporting families with children, which tend to focus on formal childcare. This article examines whether the large formal childcare expansion occurring in Germany in the last two decades has been accompanied by similar or opposite trends in informal childcare usage. It argues that accounting for both formal and informal childcare can offer a more accurate assessment of defamilisation effects of family policies. Drawing on representative data from the German Socio-Economic Panel the analysis identifies long-run developments of childcare arrangements for children aged 1–10 between 1997 and 2020, offering for the first time a comprehensive picture of how families with children of different ages mix informal care and service provision. Results show that on average the expansion of formal childcare was not associated with an equal reduction in informal childcare, lending little support to the crowding-out hypothesis. Further analyses distinguishing between population groups with different propensity to use formal childcare reveal, unexpectedly, remarkable similarities in the use of informal care throughout the period examined. The only exception are families with a migrant background, who tend to use informal childcare less than their counterparts. The general trend is, however, one whereby informal and formal care are increasingly combined." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Gangl, Selina & Martin Huber (2025): From homemakers to breadwinners? How mandatory kindergarten affects maternal labor market outcomes. In: Journal of Population Economics, Jg. 38, H. 2. DOI:10.1007/s00148-025-01099-y

Abstract

"The majority of Swiss children attend mandatory and cost-free kindergarten at age four. We examine the effect of this policy on maternal labor market outcomes. Using administrative data from Switzerland, we exploit the birthday cut-off for kindergarten entry in the same or in the following year and apply a non-parametric regression discontinuity design (RDD). We find that mandatory kindergarten has a statistically significant positive effect on the labour market attachment of previously non-employed mothers, increasing their employment probability by 4 percentage points. In contrast, there are no significant effects on other groups or in the total sample of mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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García‐Mainar, Inmaculada, Pablo García‐Ruiz & Victor M. Montuenga (2025): Gender and Occupational Prestige. Testing the Devaluation Theory in Spain. In: Gender and Occupational Prestige. Testing the Devaluation Theory in Spain, Jg. 32, H. 5, S. 1982-1993. DOI:10.1111/gwao.13262

Abstract

"The devaluation theory, that is, that occupations where women predominate become less socially valued than those where men are in the majority, has not reached a unanimous conclusion in the empirical literature, especially when prestige is used as an indicator of the valuation of the occupation. The changing economic and social circumstances may influence the fulfillment of this hypothesis over time. Using regression analysis, this article tests the adequacy of the devaluation theory in the Spanish labor market at two points in time, 1991 and 2013. Previously, it also describes and analyzes whether the ordering of occupations has changed substantially in this period, using two different comparable scales. The results confirm a weakening in the support of the devaluation theory such that gender segregation of occupations does not necessarily imply differences in their social valuation. This result can be attributed to (i) the increase of prestige in some feminized occupations and (ii) the increase of women's participation in prestigious occupations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Gartner, Hermann, Bajai Resch & Enzo Weber (2025): Der neue IAB-Lohnmonitor beleuchtet die aktuelle Lohnentwicklung in Deutschland. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 21/2025), Nürnberg, 22 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2521

Abstract

"Die Lohnentwicklung ist eine zentrale Größe zur Charakterisierung der Arbeitsmarktentwicklung. Am IAB wird ein Monitor aufgebaut, mit dem die Lohnentwicklung in Deutschland beobachtet wird. Der IAB-Lohnmonitor basiert auf der IAB-Online-Personenbefragung „Arbeiten und Leben in Deutschland“ (IAB-OPAL). IAB-OPAL ist eine webbasierte Personenbefragung des IAB, die arbeitsmarktbezogene Themen abfragt. Es handelt sich um eine quartalsweise Befragung von je circa 7.500 Personen im erwerbsfähigen Alter (18–65 Jahre), in der wechselnde Fragen zu aktuellen Themen gestellt werden. Damit kann die Lohnverteilung auch nach Merkmalen wie Alter, Geschlecht, Ausbildung und Erwerbsumfang – ausgewertet werden. Auf Basis der Befragung lassen sich so zeitnahe Aussagen über die Entwicklung der Lohnungleichheit treffen. Ein Vorteil der Daten zum Beispiel gegenüber der Verdiensterhebung des Statistischen Bundesamts ist, dass bei IAB-OPAL auch der Haushaltskontext vorliegt. So können zum Beispiel Einkommen in Haushalten mit oder ohne Kinder verglichen werden. Ein Vorteil gegenüber Prozessdaten aus der Bundesagentur für Arbeit (wie dem SIAB des IAB) wiederum ist, dass auch die Löhne jenseits der Beitragsbemessungsgrenze sowie die Arbeitszeiten erfasst werden. Wir stellen in diesem Bericht die Datengrundlagen und die Aufbereitungsschritte vor und präsentieren erste Ergebnisse aus dem IAB-Lohnmonitor: So zeigt sich, dass im vierten Quartal 2023 der durchschnittliche Stundenlohn bei 23,54 Euro lag und bis zum zweiten Quartal 2025 auf 25,61 Euro stieg. Zugleich haben sich die Unterschiede zwischen niedrigeren und höheren Löhnen in diesem Zeitraum verringert. So legten die Löhne von Personen ohne Berufsabschluss zuletzt um 13 Prozent zu, die von Personen mit Hochschulabschluss hingegen nur um 5,8 Prozent. Ein Vergleich der Löhne von Männern und Frauen zeigt: Frauen haben im Schnitt der vergangenen vier Quartale 2025 im Durchschnitt um 15,3 Prozent pro Stunde weniger verdient als Männer. Der durchschnittliche Lohn von neu eingestellten Beschäftigten schwankt meist stärker als der von bereits länger Beschäftigten. Dies zeigte sich insbesondere in den ersten Quartalen 2024 und 2025: Die Löhne in länger bestehenden Beschäftigungsverhältnissen sind im ersten Quartal 2025 gegenüber dem Vorjahresquartal um 6,7 Prozent gestiegen, die in neuen Beschäftigungsverhältnissen dagegen um 21,5 Prozent. Im zweiten Quartal lag das Verhältnis nur noch bei 6,2 Prozent zu 7,5 Prozent. Der aktuelle IAB-Lohnmonitor soll in Zukunft mehrmals jährlich erscheinen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Gartner, Hermann & Enzo Weber (2025): Die Lohnlücke schrumpft. Ein neuer Lohnmonitor soll aktuellere Daten für Forschung und Politik liefern. Die ersten Ergebnisse sind überraschend. In: Wirtschaftswoche H. 42, S. 35.

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Gash, Vanessa, Wendy Olsen, Sook Kim & Nadine Zwiener-Collins (2025): Decomposing the barriers to equal pay: examining differential predictors of the gender pay gap by socio-economic group. In: Cambridge Journal of Economics, Jg. 49, H. 4, S. 825-848. DOI:10.1093/cje/beaf025

Abstract

"Our article examines different predictors of the gender pay gap at the mean and for different income groups. Using the United Kingdom Household Panel Survey (UKHLS), we provide a detailed analysis of the effects of individual work histories, with up to 40 years of retrospective data examined alongside other key indicators. Work histories provide a powerful means of measuring the long-term effects of reduced labour force attachment on pay for women and for men. We find that gendered differentials in work-history account for 29% of the gender pay gap at the mean and that the effects of women’s reduced attachment vary by income group. We find men to earn a higher wage penalty to part-time work-histories than women, and find no evidence of a penalty to part-time work more generally in poor households. We conclude that gender equalisation policies need to reflect divergent needs by income group." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gebrewolde, Tewodros M., James Rockey & Akbar Ullah (2025): The global gender gap in labour income. In: Oxford economic papers, Jg. 77, H. 4, S. 1006-1036. DOI:10.1093/oep/gpaf011

Abstract

"This article introduces a new measure of economic gender inequality (EGI) based on the ratio of women’s share of national labor income to men’s. This measure captures both the principles of equal pay for equal work and nondiscrimination. Importantly, it can be calculated from existing data and is comparable between countries and over time. If we simply consider an unweighted average of our measure of EGI, there has been an improvement between 1994 and 2014. However, once we weight countries by population, average EGI has been increasing. Much of the higher EGI in poorer, more populous, countries is explained by the lower rates of female employment in those countries." (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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Giuliani, Giovanni Amerigo & Nicola De Luigi (2025): In-work poverty and family policy in Italy: from a frozen to a thawing landscape? In: Community, work & family, Jg. 28, H. 4, S. 558-578. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2023.2282356

Abstract

"The article investigates in-work poverty (IWP) in Italy through the lens of family policies. Adopting a longitudinal perspective, the work scrutinizes whether and to what extent the configuration of family policy tools - family allowances, leave and ECEC (Early Childhood Care and Education) - has been effective in contrasting IWP in Italy. Furthermore, it probes whether the Italian family policy has reconfigured over time as a tool for countering IWP. The study shows that family policy can be useful both directly - by providing income support for the most disadvantaged families - and indirectly - by fostering the transition to a dual-earner family model. However, the analysis of the Italian case shows that such positive effects are only potential, and not automatic. In Italy, historically, family policy has been scarcely effective. Nevertheless, in the last few years a pattern of slow change has initiated, and its effectiveness as a device to tackle IWP appears to have increased." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Godechot, Olivier, Mirna Safi & Matthew Soener (2025): Organizational Intersectionality: Do Gender and Migration Status Inequalities Reinforce or Offset Each Other in French Workplaces? In: Work, Employment and Society, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1177/09500170251348848

Abstract

"This study examines whether organizations with significant pay gaps along one dimension (gender, migration status, class, etc.) tend to exhibit similarly high inequalities along other dimensions, or whether there is a trade-off between inequality dimensions. Using French administrative data, it estimates correlations between class, gender and migrant workplace earnings gaps, and studies how these gaps also relate to a fourth measure of intra-categorical inequality. To ensure robust results, this article introduces innovative methods to address measurement biases that may distort the relationship between earnings gaps. It establishes three key patterns. First, the gender gap is higher in more unequal workplaces. Second, the migrant gap is higher in more equal workplaces. Third, gender and migrant earnings gaps are negatively correlated within workplaces. These results suggest that workplace inequality regimes are shaped by both reinforcing and trade-off dynamics. Finally, this article explores factors influencing these patterns and highlights the role of industries." (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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Goldstein, Markus, Paula Gonzalez, Talip Kilic, Sreelakshmi Papineni & Philip Wollburg (2025): Breadwinners and caregivers: Examining the global relationship between gender norms and economic behavior. In: Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Jg. 72, H. 2, S. e12406. DOI:10.1111/sjpe.12406

Abstract

"Gender norms are often emphasized to help explain gender gaps in the labor market. We examine global patterns of gender attitudes and norms toward the stereotypical gender roles of the male breadwinner and female caregiver , and broad support for gender equality in opportunities , and study their relationship with economic behavior. Using data collected via Facebook from 150,000 individuals across 111 countries the paper explores how gender beliefs and norms are related to labor supply, household production, and intra-household decision-making power within a country. We provide descriptive evidence that the more gender equitable or counter-stereotypical are beliefs and norms, the more likely women are to work, the more time men spend on household chores, and the higher the likelihood of joint decision-making among married couples. Our findings suggest an underestimation of the support for gender equality globally and the extent of underestimation varies by gender and region. The paper concludes with a discussion of potential entry points for policy to help address gender norms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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González, Libertad, Sergi Jiménez-Martín, Natalia Nollenberger & Judit Vall Castello (2025): The Effect of Access to Legal Abortion on Fertility, Marriage, and Long-term Outcomes for Women. In: The Economic Journal. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueaf054

Abstract

"We evaluate the short- and long-term effects for women of access to legal, subsidized abortion. We find evidence that the legalization of abortion in Spain in 1985 led to an immediate decrease in births, more pronounced for younger women in provinces with a higher supply of abortion services. Affected women were more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to marry young, less likely to divorce in the long-term, and reported higher life satisfaction as adults. We find at most small reductions in completed fertility, while we do not find meaningful effects on labour market outcomes in the long run." (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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Gutfleisch, Tamara & Robin Samuel (2025): Gender and unemployment: a vignette experiment on recruiters’ hiring intentions in sex-segregated occupations. In: European Societies, S. 1-35. DOI:10.1162/euso_a_00040

Abstract

"This study investigates the interplay between occupational sex composition and gender-specific unemployment patterns from the perspective of demand-side mechanisms, an area where existing research is scant. Experimental evidence suggests that unemployment is often perceived more negatively for men than women in hiring decisions. However, it is unclear how the disadvantages from unemployment and those associated with applying for gender-atypical jobs combine to (re-)produce gender inequality in re-employment chances. Utilizing secondary data from a multi-country vignette experiment, we examined how recruiters across different sex-segregated occupational fields assess male and female job applicants with unemployment experience. We found gender differences in the effect of unemployment, with disadvantages for men increasing with the share of women in an occupation. While the reverse pattern was observed in occupations with lower shares of women, the gender difference in unemployment effects was somewhat larger for men in female-dominated occupations. This was due to occupational variation in unemployment effects for both genders. However, focusing on applicants meeting the minimum skill requirements, only men's unemployment effect varied across occupational fields. Thus, occupational sex composition is an important factor in recruiter evaluations of unemployed applicants, intensifying the challenge of re-employment, particularly for men in female-dominated occupations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))