Zitatform

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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Kostøl, Fredrik B. & Elin Svarstad (2025): From bargaining to balance: How unions shape gender wage outcomes. In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Jg. 236. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107130

Abstract

"Women continue to earn less than men in OECD countries. Extensive research has explored various factors contributing to the gender wage gap. However, fewer studies have examined the impact of trade unions, despite their significant role in promoting equality. In this study, we exploit exogenous variation in tax scheme incentives for union members to identify the effect of trade unions on the gender wage gap in Norwegian private sector establishments. Using administrative register data on full-time private-sector workers in the period 2000–2014, we find that increases in union density reduce wage differences between women and men within establishments. A ten-percentage point increase in the workplace union density is estimated to reduce the gender wage gap by approximately 2.7 percentage points." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Mogstad, Magne, Kjell G. Salvanes & Gaute Torsvik (2025): Income Equality in The Nordic Countries: Myths, Facts, and Lessons. (BFI Working Papers / University of Chicago, Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics 2025,25), Chicago, 58 S. DOI:10.2139/ssrn.5133608

Abstract

"Policymakers, public commentators, and researchers often cite the Nordic countries as examples of a social and economic model that successfully combines low income inequality with prosperity and growth. This article aims to critically assess this claim by integrating theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence to illustrate how the Nordic model functions and why these countries experience low inequality. Our analysis suggests that income equality in the Nordics is primarily driven by a significant compression of hourly wages, reducing the returns to labor market skills and education. This appears to be achieved through a wage bargaining system characterized by strong coordination both within and across industries. This finding contrasts with other commonly cited explanations for Nordic income equality, such as redistribution through the tax-transfer system, public spending on goods that complement employment, and public policies aimed at equalizing skills and human capital distribution. We consider the potential lessons for other economies that seek to reduce income equality. We conclude by discussing several underexplored or unresolved questions and issues." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Wang, Buyi, Meredith Slopen, Irwin Garfinkel, Elizabeth Ananat, Sophie Collyer, Robert Paul Hartley, Anastasia Koutavas & Christopher Wimer (2025): The Benefits and Costs of Paid Parental Leave in the United States. In: Social Service Review, Jg. 99, H. 2, S. 258-297. DOI:10.1086/735565

Abstract

"To inform US policy debates about the introduction of a national paid leave program, we conduct a benefit-cost analysis of its introduction. We identify high-quality, quasi-experimental studies on the impact of paid parental leave on infants and parents. Using both the most conservative estimates and the mean estimates from this review, we estimate that every $1,000 investment in paid parental leave would generate, respectively, $7,251 and $29,369 in net social benefits. We use these estimates to conduct a microsimulation of the benefits and costs of two national paid parental leave policy proposals with variations in eligibility and wage replacement rates. The proposed national 4-week program’s initial fiscal cost would be under $2 billion and generate long-term net social benefits with a present discounted value of either $13 billion or $55 billion. The initial fiscal costs and long-term net social benefits of the 12-week program would be about 3.7 times larger." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chung, Heejung (2024): National family policies and the association between flexible working arrangements and work-to-family conflict across Europe. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 36, S. 229-249. DOI:10.20377/jfr-1002

Abstract

"Objective: This paper explores how national family policies moderate the association between flexible working arrangements and work-to-family conflict across countries. Background: Although flexible working is provided to enhance work-family integration, studies show that it can in fact increase work-to-family conflict. However, certain policy contexts can help moderate this association by introducing contexts that enable workers to use of flexible working arrangements to better meet their family and other life demands. Method: The paper uses the European Working Conditions Survey of 2015 including data from workers with caring responsibilities from across 30 European countries. It uses a multilevel cross-level interaction model to examine how family policies, such as childcare and parental leave policies, can explain the cross-national variation in the association between flexible working arrangements, that is flexitime, working-time autonomy, and teleworking, and work-to-family conflict. Results: At the European average, flexible working was associated with higher levels of work-to-family conflict for workers, with working-time-autonomy being worse for men’s, and teleworking being worse for women ’s conflict levels. In countries with generous childcare policies, flexitime was associated with lower levels of work-to-family conflict, especially for women. However, in countries with long mother’s leave, working-time-autonomy was associated with even higher levels of work-to-family conflict for men. Conclusion: The results of this paper evidence how flexible working arrangements need to be introduced in a more holistic manner with possible reforms of wider range of family policies in order for flexible working to meet worker’s work-family integration demands." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Corekcioglu, Gozde, Marco Francesconi & Astrid Kunze (2024): Expansions in paid parental leave and mothers’ economic progress. In: European Economic Review, Jg. 169. DOI:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2024.104845

Abstract

"This paper investigates the impact of reforms extending paid parental leave on mothers’ progress to the upper echelons of their companies. Using employer–employee matched data and examining a series of reforms between 1987 and 2005 in Norway, we find that longer parental leave neither helped nor hurt mothers’ chances to be at the top of their companies’ pay ranking or in the C-suite up to 25 years after childbirth.This holds true also for highly educated women and high performers across all sectors. Key career determinants, such as hours worked and promotions, are unaffected in the short and long run. Finally, fathers’ career progression and within-household gender wage gaps have also remained unaltered." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Godechot, Olivier, Donald Tomaskovic-Devey, István Boza, Lasse Henriksen, Are Skeie Hermansen, Feng Hou, Naomi Kodama, Alena Křížková, Jiwook Jung, Zoltán Lippényi, Silvia Maja Melzer, Eunmi Mun, Halil Sabanci, Max Thaning, Dustin Avent-Holt, Nina Bandelj, Paula Apascaritei, Alexis Baudour, David Cort, Marta M. Elvira, Gergely Hajdu, Aleksandra Kanjuo-Mrčela, Joseph King, Andrew Penner, Trond Petersen, William Rainey, Mirna Safi, Matthew Soener & Andreja Poje (2024): The Great Separation: Top Earner Segregation at Work in Advanced Capitalist Economies. In: American journal of sociology, Jg. 130, H. 2, S. 439-495. DOI:10.1086/731603

Abstract

"Earnings segregation at work is an understudied topic in social science, despite the workplace being an everyday nexus for social mixing, cohesion, contact, claims-making, and resource exchange. It is all the more urgent to study as workplaces, in the last decades, have undergone profound reorganizations that could impact the magnitude and evolution of earnings segregation. Analyzing linked employer-employee panel administrative databases, we estimate the evolving isolation of higher earners from other employees in 12 countries: Canada, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, South Korea, and Sweden. We find in almost all countries a growing workplace isolation of top earners and dramatically declining exposure of top earners to bottom earners. We do a first exploration of the main factors accounting for this trend: deindustrialization, workplace downsizing restructuring (including layoffs, outsourcing, offshoring, and subcontracting) and digitalization contribute substantially to the increase in top earner segregation. These findings open up a future research agenda on the causes and consequences of top earner segregation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Harkko, Jaakko, Aino Salonsalmi, Noora A. Heinonen, Tea Lallukka & Anne Kouvonen (2024): Work-family conflicts and sickness absence due to mental disorders among female municipal employees – a register-linked study comparing health and social care employees to employees in other sectors. In: Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, Jg. 50, H. 8, S. 631-640. DOI:10.5271/sjweh.4191

Abstract

"This study demonstrates that work-to-family conflicts and family-to-work conflicts are associated with sickness absence due to mental disorders among female municipal employees, particularly among health and social care employees. Supporting employees with mentally strenuous work and intervening health issues starting early on the career is needed in workplaces and in occupational health care." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Helgøy, Anna (2024): What sustains feminized part-time work at the gender equality frontier? Evidence from a vignette experiment. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 34, H. 5, S. 542-555. DOI:10.1177/09589287241290751

Abstract

"Feminized part-time work has been deemed a family policy conundrum yet to be solved by any welfare regime. To identify ways forward, this article examines structural drivers of part-time work decisions through a vignette experiment fielded in the gender-egalitarian context of Norway (N = 3500). Six theory-grounded factors are tested in this multidimensional, causal framework: partner income level, physical and cognitive household labor burdens, the presence of a part-time culture at the workplace, and consequences of part-time work for career advancement and future pensions. Results show that overall, factors that regulate individuals’ material self-interest (partner income, career and pension consequences) have the largest impact on working-time decisions. Additionally, a priming treatment is given with a split sample concerning the factor of cognitive household labor – the organizational dimension of household work. Results from sub-group analyzes show that non-primed respondents prefer significantly higher working hours when their cognitive labor burden is lower. Respondents who received experimental priming, however, portray the opposite behavior (lower working-hour preference when cognitive labor burden is low). The pattern is driven by women, whereas men are left largely unaffected by both the priming and vignette treatment of cognitive labor. Thus, robust findings imply that gender inequality in material circumstances sustains feminized part-time work patterns. Suggestive evidence further indicates that gender inequality in cognitive labor loads may also contribute to sustaining feminized part-time work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ikonen, Hanna-Mari, Minna Salminen-Karlsson & Gilda Seddighi (2024): Not just daycare: nordic mothers in research, development and innovation navigating work and childcare. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 27, H. 2, S. 208-224. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2022.2138739

Abstract

"Nordic welfare policies mitigate work–childcare reconciliation; however, they are not enough for mothers working in intensive work cultures. In addition, there are differences among the three Nordic states in both work–family policies and cultural norms as to how they should be used. In this article, we study the resources mothers who work in research, development and innovation (R&D&I) in Finland, Norway and Sweden rely on in their work–childcare reconciliation. Thematic analysis of interviews with 74 professionals resulted in identifying four main resources: father involvement, parental leave system and daycare, flexible working, and grandparent help and networks. Our analysis brings to view the blind spots in work and childcare reconciliation that Nordic care policies and flexible work schemes do not cover in the case of professional R&D&I mothers. We find that the role of fathers is overarching, as it regulates which of the other resources are used and how. We also argue that the role grandparents play as a resource is understudied." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Rattsø, Jørn & Hildegunn E. Stokke (2024): Public sector wage compression and wage inequality: gender and geographic heterogeneity. In: Oxford economic papers, Jg. 76, H. 3, S. 722-740. DOI:10.1093/oep/gpad040

Abstract

"Studies of wage inequality concentrate on private wages. Public sector wages are typically assumed to contribute to the overall wage equality. We challenge this understanding in an analysis of the relative skill premium in the public versus private sectors. The analysis of heterogeneity across gender and geography is based on rich register data for Norway. The raw data confirm the relative wage compression in the public sector. However, this is a male phenomenon and only prevalent in large cities when unobserved worker and firm characteristics are taken into account. With identification based on shifters between private and public sectors and movers between city-size groups, wage setting for female workers in the public sector increases wage inequality in all regions, particularly in the periphery. The result is consistent with policies promoting the recruitment of high-educated female workers and the expansion of public services in the periphery counterbalancing the desired equality effect of public wages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ager, Philipp, Marc Goñi & Kjell G. Salvanes (2023): Gender-Biased Technological Change: Milking Machines and the Exodus of Women from Farming. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16347), Bonn, 100 S.

Abstract

"This paper studies the link between gender-biased technological change in the agricultural sector and structural transformation in Norway. After WWII, Norwegian farms began widely adopting milking machines to replace the hand milking of cows, a task typically performed by women. Combining population-wide panel data from the Norwegian registry with municipality-level data from the Census of Agriculture, we show that the adoption of milking machines triggered a process of structural transformation by displacing young rural women from their traditional jobs on farms in dairy-intensive municipalities. The displaced women moved to urban areas where they acquired a higher level of education and found better-paid employment. These findings are consistent with the predictions of a Roy model of comparative advantage, extended to account for task automation and the gender division of labor in the agricultural sector. We also quantify significant inter-generational effects of this gender-biased technology adoption. Our results imply that the mechanization of farming has broken deeply rooted gender norms, transformed women's work, and improved their long-term educational and earning opportunities, relative to men." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bar-Haim, Eyal, Louis Chauvel, Janet Gornick & Anne Hartung (2023): The Persistence of the Gender Earnings Gap: Cohort Trends and the Role of Education in Twelve Countries. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 165, H. 3, S. 821-841. DOI:10.1007/s11205-022-03029-x

Abstract

"Studying twelve countries over 30 years, we examine whether women's educational expansion has translated into a narrowing of the gender gap in earnings when including persons with zero earnings. As educational attainment is cohort-dependent, an Age-Period-Cohort analysis is most appropriate in our view. Using the micro data from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) Database, we show that while, in terms of attainment of tertiary education, women have caught up and often even outperform men, substantial gender differences in our earnings measure persist in all countries. Using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method in an innovative age-period-cohort approach, we demonstrate that the role of education in explaining gender earnings differences has been limited and even decreased over cohorts. We also conclude that, when including persons not receiving earnings, earnings differences at levels far from gender equality will likely persist in the future, even if the “rise of women” in terms of education continues—as the share of women in higher education increases and the returns to education in particular for women declines." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Campaña, Juan Carlos, José Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & Jorge Velilla (2023): Measuring Gender Gaps in Time Allocation in Europe. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 165, H. 2, S. 519-553. DOI:10.1007/s11205-022-03026-0

Abstract

"This paper explores the gender gap in time allocation in European countries, offering a comparison of the 2000s and the 2010s, along with an explanation of the documented gender gaps, based on social norms and institutional factors. The results show that the gender gap in both paid and unpaid work has decreased in most countries, but with a significant level of cross-country heterogeneity in the size of the gender gaps. More traditional social norms are related to greater gender inequalities in paid and unpaid work, while countries with better family-friendly policies and a greater representation of women in politics and in the labour market exhibit smaller gender inequalities. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of gender gaps in Europe, and attempts to monitor the progress towards the elimination of gender inequalities. Despite that some degree of gender convergence in paid and unpaid work has taken place, there remain inequalities in the distribution of labour in European countries, and possible solutions may be related to social norms and family-friendly policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Kowalewska, Helen (2023): Gendered employment patterns: Women's labour market outcomes across 24 countries. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 33, H. 2, S. 151-168. DOI:10.1177/09589287221148336

Abstract

"An accepted framework for ‘gendering’ the analysis of welfare regimes compares countries by degrees of ‘defamilialization’ or how far their family policies support or undermine women’s employment participation. This article develops an alternative framework that explicitly spotlights women’s labour market outcomes rather than policies. Using hierarchical clustering on principal components, it groups 24 industrialized countries by their simultaneous performance across multiple gendered employment outcomes spanning segregation and inequalities in employment participation, intensity, and pay, with further differences by class. The three core ‘worlds’ of welfare (social-democratic, corporatist, liberal) each displays a distinctive pattern of gendered employment outcomes. Only France diverges from expectations, as large gender pay gaps across the educational divide – likely due to fragmented wage-bargaining – place it with Anglophone countries. Nevertheless, the outcome-based clustering fails to support the idea of a homogeneous Mediterranean grouping or a singular Eastern European cluster. Furthermore, results underscore the complexity and idiosyncrasy of gender inequality: while certain groups of countries are ‘better’ overall performers, all have their flaws. Even the Nordics fall behind on some measures of segregation, despite narrow participatory and pay gaps for lower- and high-skilled groups. Accordingly, separately monitoring multiple measures of gender inequality, rather than relying on ‘headline’ indicators or gender equality indices, matters." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Madsen, Aleksander Å., Idunn Brekke & Silje Bringsrud Fekjær (2023): Women's Attrition from Male-Dominated Workplaces in Norway: The Importance of Numerical Minority Status, Motherhood and Class. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 37, H. 2, S. 333-351. DOI:10.1177/09500170211004247

Abstract

"This study explores women’s attrition from male-dominated workplaces based on Norwegian public administrative records, covering individuals born 1945–1983, in the period between 2003 and 2013. It examines sex differences in rates of attrition and tests the significance of two commonly proposed explanations in the literature, namely the degree of numerical minority status and motherhood. It also investigates whether these explanations vary by occupational class. Selection into male-dominated workplaces is accounted for by using individual fixed effects models. The results show that attrition rates from male-dominated workplaces are considerably higher among women than among men. Moreover, the risk of female attrition to sex-balanced workplaces increases, regardless of occupational class, with increases in the percentage of males. Childbirth is associated with an increased risk of attrition to female-dominated workplaces, while having young children (⩽ 10 years old) lowered the risk. This association, however, was primarily evident among working-class women in manual occupations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nicoletti, Cheti, Kjell Salvanes & Emma Tominey (2023): Mothers Working during Preschool Years and Child Skills: Does Income Compensate? In: Journal of labor economics, Jg. 41, H. 2, S. 389-429. DOI:10.1086/719688

Abstract

"Increasing mothers’ labour supply in a child’s preschool years may reduce time investments, yielding a negative direct effect on mid-childhood and teenage outcomes. But as mothers’ work hours increase, income will rise. Can income compensate for the negative effect of hours? Our mediation analysis exploits exogenous variation in both mothers’ hours and family income. Results suggest a negative, insignificant direct effect from increasing mother’s hours on child test scores. However the positive mediating effect of income creates a positive total effect on test scores of 26% of a standard deviation for 10-hours increase in mothers weekly hours in preschool years." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bar-Haim, Eyal, Louis Chauvel, Janet Gornick & Anne Hartung (2022): The Persistence of the Gender Earnings Gap: Cohort Trends and the Role of Education in Twelve Countries. (SocArXiv papers), [Charlottesville, VA], 36 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/dkc76

Abstract

"Studying twelve countries over 30 years, we examine whether women’s educational expansion has translated into a narrowing of the gender gap in earnings when including persons with zero earnings. As educational attainment is cohort-dependent, an Age-Period-Cohort analysis is most appropriate in our view. Using the micro data from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) Database, we show that while, in terms of attainment of tertiary education, women have caught up and often even outperform men, substantial gender differences in our earnings measure persist in all countries. Using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method in an innovative age-period-cohort approach, we demonstrate that the role of education in explaining gender earnings differences has been limited and even decreased over cohorts. We also conclude that, when including persons not receiving earnings, earnings differences at levels far from gender equality will likely persist in the future, even if the “rise of women” in terms of education continues – as the share of women in higher education increases and the returns to education in particular for women declines." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Corekcioglu, Gozde, Marco Francesconi & Astrid Kunze (2022): Expansions in Paid Parental Leave and Mothers' Economic Progress. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 15585), Bonn, 89 S.

Abstract

"We examine the impact of government-funded universal paid parental leave extensions on the likelihood that mothers reach top-pay jobs and executive positions, using eight Norwegian reforms. Up to a quarter of a century after childbirth, such reforms neither helped nor hurt mothers' chances to be at the top of their companies' pay ranking or in leadership positions. We detect no differential effect across many characteristics, and no impact on other outcomes, such as hours worked and promotions. No reform affected fathers' pay or the gender pay gaps between mothers and their male colleagues and between mothers and their partners." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kan, Man-Yee, Muzhi Zhou, Kamila Kolpashnikova, Ekaterina Hertog, Shohei Yoda & Jiweon Jun (2022): Revisiting the Gender Revolution: Time on Paid Work, Domestic Work, and Total Work in East Asian and Western Societies 1985–2016. In: Gender & Society, Jg. 36, H. 3, S. 368-396. DOI:10.1177/08912432221079664

Abstract

"We analyze time use data of four East Asian societies and 12 Western countries between 1985 and 2016 to investigate the gender revolution in paid work, domestic work, and total work. The closing of gender gaps in paid work, domestic work, and total work time has stalled in the most recent decade in several countries. The magnitude of the gender gaps, cultural contexts, and welfare policies plays a key role in determining whether the gender revolution in the division of labor will stall or continue. Women undertake more total work than men across all societies: The gender gap ranges from 30 minutes to 2 hours a day. Our findings suggest that cultural norms interact with institutional contexts to affect the patterns of gender convergence in time use, and gender equality might settle at differing levels of egalitarianism across countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ahrsjö, Ulrika, René Karadakic & Joachim Kahr Rasmussen (2021): Intergenerational Mobility Trends and the Changing Role of Female Labor. (CEBI working paper series 2021,19), Copenhagen, 54 S.

Abstract

"We present new evidence on the existence and drivers of trends in intergenerational income mobility using administrative income data from Scandinavia along with survey data from the United States. Harmonizing the data from Sweden, Denmark and Norway, we first find that intergenerational rank associations in income have increased uniformly across Scandinavia for cohorts of children born between 1951 and 1979. These trends are robust to a large set of empirical specifications that are common in the associated literature. However, splitting the trends by gender, we find that father-son mobility has been stable in all three countries, while correlations involving females display substantial trends. Similar patterns are confirmed in the US data, albeit with slightly different timing. Utilizing information about individual occupation, education and income in the Scandinavian data, we find that intergenerational mobility in latent economic status has remained relatively constant for all gender combinations. This suggests that a gradual reduction in gender-specific labor market segregation, increased female labor force participation and increased female access to higher education has strengthened the signal value that maternal income carries about productivity passed on to children. Based on these results, we argue that the observed decline in intergenerational mobility in Scandinavia is consistent with a socially desirable development where female skills are increasingly valued at the labor market, and that the same is likely to be true also in the US." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bennett, Patrick, Chiara Ravetti & Po Yin Wong (2021): Losing in a boom: Long-term consequences of a local economic shock for female labour market outcomes. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 73. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2021.102080

Abstract

"This article examines the long-term labour market consequences of a positive and large-scale economic shock, the discovery of oil and gas in Norway. Using longitudinal data on the entire Norwegian population, we find that the shock increases male income by around 7%, while reducing female income by up to 14%. Although married women experience the largest income losses, they also have higher household income, revealing the importance of labour supply adjustments within households. While these income shifts persist for two decades, the subsequent generation of female workers are able to close the income gap with their peers in areas less affected by the oil boom." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2022 Elsevier) ((en))

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Bratsberg, Bernt, Andreas Kotsadam & Selma Walther (2021): Male Fertility: Facts, Distribution and Drivers of Inequality. (IZA discussion paper 14506), Bonn, 53 S.

Abstract

"We document new facts on the distribution of male fertility and its relationship with men’s labor market outcomes. Using Norwegian registry data on all births since 1967, we show that rates of male childlessness in recent cohorts are 72% among the lowest five percent of earners but only 11% among the highest earners, and that this gap widened by almost 20 percentage points over the last thirty cohort years. There has been a compression in the fertility distribution, with a substantial share of men being “left behind” and fewer men experiencing a larger share of the population’s new births. We use firm bankruptcies as a source of variation in job loss and earnings to provide robust evidence that men experiencing negative labor market shocks are less likely to experience the birth of a child, transition out of childlessness, and be partnered, and that these effects are persistent up to 15 years after the event. We conclude by documenting that men’s fertility penalty to job loss has increased markedly over the last three decades." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ledic, Marko & Ivica Rubil (2021): Beyond Wage Gap, Towards Job Quality Gap: The Role of Inter-Group Differences in Wages, Non-Wage Job Dimensions, and Preferences. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 155, H. 2, S. 523-561. DOI:10.1007/s11205-021-02612-y

Abstract

"Wage is not the only thing people care about when assessing the quality of their jobs. Non-wage job dimensions, such as autonomy at work and work-life balance, are important as well. Nevertheless, there is vast literature comparing groups of employed people that focuses on the inter-group wage gaps only. We go beyond the wage gap by proposing a framework for analysing inter-group gaps in multidimensional job quality. Job quality is measured by the so-called equivalent wage, a measure combining wage and multiple non-wage job dimensions in accordance with preferences over jobs as combinations of job dimensions. We derive a decomposition of the inter-group equivalent wage gap into three components: (1) the standard wage gap, (2) the gap in non-wage dimensions, and (3) inter-group preference heterogeneity. In an illustrative empirical application, we focus on the gender gap for recent university graduates using survey data from 19 countries. Men's equivalent wages are substantially higher than women's, and the equivalent wage gaps are significantly larger than the wage gaps. This is because the non-wage job dimensions are on average to men's advantage, and the preference heterogeneity is such that men care about the non-wage dimensions less than women do, and thus suffer less from having the non-wage dimensions at levels below the perfect level. This type of decompositions broadens information about labour market inequalities available to policy makers, but it is up to them to decide which of the three components of the equivalent wage gap are normatively relevant for them and whether they should aim to eliminate them." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Pető, Rita & Balázs Reizer (2021): Gender differences in the skill content of jobs. In: Journal of Population Economics, Jg. 34, H. 3, S. 825-864. DOI:10.1007/s00148-021-00825-6

Abstract

"There is significant heterogeneity in actual skill use within occupations even though occupations are differentiated by the task workers should perform during work. Using data on 12 countries which are available both in the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies survey and International Social Survey Program, we show that women use their cognitive skills less than men even within the same occupation. The gap in skill intensity cannot be explained by differences in worker characteristics or in cognitive skills. Instead, we show that living in a partnership significantly increases the skill use of men compared with women. We argue that having a partner affects skill use through time allocation as the gender penalty of partnered women is halved once we control for working hours and hours spent on housework. Finally, we do not find evidence of workplace discrimination against women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Stokke, Hildegunn E. (2021): The gender wage gap and the early-career effect: the role of actual experience and education level. In: Labour, Jg. 35, H. 2, S. 135-162. DOI:10.1111/labr.12191

Abstract

"This paper studies how the gender wage gap develops with work experience throughout the career. The contribution is twofold. First, the analysis applies matched employer‐employee register data with information on actual, rather than potential, experience. Second, the career effect of the gender wage gap is allowed to differ by workers’ education level. The male wage premium is small upon entry to the labor market, whereas it increases rapidly throughout the early career, before stabilizing. In contrast to the existing literature, the estimates reveal heterogeneity among high‐educated workers, where the widening of the wage gap is much smaller for postgraduates than other college graduates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Tallås Ahlzén, Malin (2021): Peer effects and parental leave of fathers. (Swedish Institute for Social Research. Working paper 2021,1), Stockholm, 27 S.

Abstract

"This paper explores peer effects in parental leave uptake between male coworkers in Sweden. More specifically, I use the first parental leave quota, introduced in 1995, to estimate the peer effects in a fuzzy Regression discontinuity design. The results are allowed to differ with plant characteristics related to monetary and normative costs facing the employee, as well as monetary costs facing the employer. Further, the quality of response of both peers and fathers is evaluated. The empirical analysis indicates that there is no peer effect in Sweden on average and the heterogeneity analysis of costs reveal no robust differences. While the first stage is strong throughout, there is no robust reduced form. This implies that peers (and fathers) responded to the reform, but there was no additional effect on fathers from their peers. I suggest two features of the Swedish setting which in combination are especially unfavorable for peer effects. Firstly, the extensive margin among Swedish fathers was relatively high before the reform. Secondly, the Swedish system allows for continuous applications of parental leave and a flexible outtake. I provide suggestive evidence of a tradeoff between the scope for peer effects and the quality of the information transmitted." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bergsvik, Janna, Ragni Hege Kitterød & Kenneth Aarskaug Wiik (2020): Parenthood and Couples' Relative Earnings in Norway. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 36, H. 2, S. 218-235. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcz062

Abstract

"With the advance of the gender revolution, income dynamics in couples are changing. Nonetheless, in most Western societies, parenthood still promotes specialized gender roles. Utilizing Norwegian register data on all married and cohabiting couples born 1946–1989, we investigate possible changes in the associations between parenthood and within-couple inequality in earnings in the years 2005–2014. Precisely, using interactions and fixed effects models, we compare the development of within-couple gender gaps in earnings over time between childless couples and couples with children of different ages, and within couples before and after childbirth. Results showed that the gender gap in earnings in couples increased with the number of children and was most distinct among couples with children below 6 years. However, the association between parenthood and within-couple inequality in earnings was reduced across the study period, a development partly driven by a decreasing fatherhood premium evident from 2009 onwards. Not only women's but also men's income development is now negatively affected by having young children in the household. Our findings, thus, indicate important changes in how men and women prioritize paid labour after a childbirth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Corekcioglu, Gozde, Marco Francesconi & Astrid Kunze (2020): Do Generous Parental Leave Policies Help Top Female Earners? In: Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Jg. 36, H. 4, S. 2020. DOI:10.1093/oxrep/graa047

Abstract

"Generous government-mandated parental leave is generally viewed as an effective policy to support women's careers around childbirth. But does it help women to reach top positions in the upper pay echelon of their firms? Using longitudinal employer–employee matched data for the entire Norwegian population, we address this question exploiting a series of reforms that expanded paid leave from 30 weeks in 1989 to 52 weeks in 1993. The representation of women in top positions has only moderately increased over time, and career profiles of female top earners within firms are significantly different from those of their male counterparts. The reforms did not affect, and possibly decreased, the probability for women to be at the top over their life cycle. We discuss some implications of this result to put into perspective the design of new family-friendly policy interventions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Giménez-Nadal, J. Ignacio & José Alberto Molina (2020): The Gender Gap in Time Allocation in Europe. (IZA discussion paper 13461), 42 S.

Abstract

"This article explores the gender gap in time allocation in Europe, offering up-to-date statistics and information on several factors that may help to explain these differences. Prior research has identified several factors affecting the time individuals devote to paid work, unpaid work, and child care, and the gender gaps in these activities, but most research refers to single countries, and general patterns are rarely explored. Cross-country evidence on gender gaps in paid work, unpaid work, and child care is offered, and explanations based on education, earnings, and household structure are presented, using data from the EUROSTAT and the Multinational Time Use Surveys. There are large cross-country differences in the gender gaps in paid work, unpaid work, and child care, which remain after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, although the gender gap in paid work dissipates when the differential gendered relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and paid work is taken into account. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of gender gaps in Europe, helping to focus recent debates on how to tackle inequality in Europe, and clarifying the factors that contribute to gender inequalities in the uses of time." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Goraus, Karolina, Joanna Tyrowicz & Lucas van der Velde (2020): How rankings disguise gender inequality: a comparative analysis of cross-country gender equality rankings based on adjusted wage gaps. (GRAPE working paper 46), Warszawa, 23 S.

Abstract

"In the case of gender wage gaps, adjusting adequately for individual characteristics requires prior assessment of several important deficiencies, primarily whether a given labor market is characterized by gendered selection into employment, gendered segmentation and whether these mechanisms differ along the distribution of wages. Whether a country is perceived as more equal than others depends on the interaction between the method of adjusting gender wage gap for individual characteristics and the prevalence of these deficiencies. We make the case that this interaction is empirically relevant by comparing the country rankings for the adjusted gender wage gap among 23 EU countries. In this relatively homogeneous group of countries, the interaction between method and underlying deficiencies leads to substantial variation in the extent of unjustified inequality. A country may change its place in the ranking by as much as ten positions - both towards greater equality and towards greater inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Thun, Cecilie (2020): Excellent and gender equal? Academic motherhood and 'gender blindness' in Norwegian academia. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 27, H. 2, S. 166-180. DOI:10.1111/gwao.12368

Abstract

"This article explores Norwegian female academics' experiences with academic motherhood in an organizational perspective. A main finding is that academia as an organization is greedy, uncertain, and has 'blind spots' that reveal gender bias related to gender and parental status, especially mothers. By analyzing the link between gendered organization of work and the legitimatizing of gender inequality, the article reveals 'gender blindness' in the academic organization concerning gender and parental status. The article concludes that changes in academia - in line with academic capitalism - may indicate that the Norwegian model of work-life balance is under pressure. This article suggests that the organizational conditions for academic motherhood are important factors in order to understand the persistence of gender inequality." (Author's abstract, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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(2020): Quality Early Childhood Education and Care for Children Under Age 3. Results from the Starting Strong Survey 2018. (TALIS), Paris, 120 S. DOI:10.1787/99f8bc95-en

Abstract

"The experience of children under age 3 with early childhood education and care (ECEC) is crucial for their learning, development and well-being and for parents’ return to work. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of ECEC for the youngest children, little is known about this sector. The OECD Starting Strong Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS Starting Strong) is the first international survey that focuses on the ECEC workforce. It asks staff and leaders about themselves and their settings, including the practices they use with children and their views on the sector. This thematic report focusses on ECEC for children under age 3, an option of the Survey in which four countries (Denmark, Germany, Israel and Norway) participated. The report answers many questions that are important for parents, actors in the field, and policy makers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Barbieri, Paolo, Giorgio Cutuli, Raffaele Guetto & Stefani Scherer (2019): Part-time employment as a way to increase women's employment: (Where) does it work? In: International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Jg. 60, H. 4, S. 249-268. DOI:10.1177/0020715219849463

Abstract

"Part-time employment has repeatedly been proposed as a solution for integrating women into the labor market; however, empirical evidence supporting a causal link is mixed. In this text, we investigate the extent to which increasing part-time employment is a valid means of augmenting women's labor market participation. We pay particular attention to the institutional context and the related characteristics of part-time employment in European countries to test the conditions under which this solution is a viable option. The results reveal that part-time employment may strengthen female employment in Continental Europe and especially in Southern Europe, where an increase in part-time employment - even if it is demand-side driven - leads to greater employment participation among women. We also discuss some policy implications and trade-offs: Although part-time work can lead to higher numbers of employed women, it does so at the cost of increasing gendered labor market segregation. We analyze data from the European Labor Force Survey (EU-LFS) 1992 - 2011 for 19 countries and 188 regions and exploit regional variation over time while controlling for time-constant regional characteristics, time-varying regional labor market features, and (time-varying) confounding factors at the national level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bjørnholt, Margunn & Kari Stefansen (2019): Same but different: Polish and Norwegian parents' work. Family adaptations in Norway. In: Journal of European social policy, Jg. 29, H. 2, S. 292-304. DOI:10.1177/0958928718758824

Abstract

"This article explores how families with young children arrive at and live with different work - family adaptations within a welfare state that strongly supports the dual earner/dual carer model - that of Norway. It draws on a qualitative study among Norwegian-born and Polish-born parents, representing, respectively, 'insider' and 'outsider' views on this model. The analysis aims at capturing the dynamic interplay between structures and policies, and everyday practices. We found that both Norwegian and Polish parents embraced the cultural ideal of the dual earner/dual carer model, but that their perceived scope of action differed. Within the Norwegian group, there were differences related to class, however. Among middle-class Norwegian parents, the model was internalized as a moral obligation and part of identity, making it difficult to voice and cope with work - family conflict. Working-class parents in this group varied more in their identification with this model. Across class, Polish parents, in contrast, used welfare state entitlements eclectically to shape new and more gender equal family practices in Norway and to adjust to changing circumstances. The article illustrates how enabling structures may represent both opportunities for and limitation to individual agency, undermining the assumption of a simple 'fit' between work - family policies, work - family adaptations and gender equality in the family." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chłoń-Domińczak, Agnieszka, Iga Magda & Pawel A. Strzelecki (2019): Patterns of labour market participation and their impact on the well-being of older women. In: A. Börsch-Supan, J. Bristle, K. Andersen-Ranberg, A. Brugiavini, F. Jusot, H. Litwin & G. Weber (Hrsg.) (2019): Health and socio-economic status over the life course : First results from SHARE Waves 6 and 7, S. 129-139. DOI:10.1515/9783110617245-013

Abstract

"We focus on identifying the patterns of the full and interrupted careers of women in 13 European countries that participated in the third and subsequent waves of SHARE, in particular the retrospective SHARELIFE survey. Using the survey results, we distinguish women who have had full or interrupted labour market careers. We also analyse differences in the patterns of women's interrupted careers among countries. We then assess whether a link exists between the pattern of labour market career and the current socio-economic situation of older women, including their health, income and life satisfaction levels. Thus, we contribute to studies on various dimensions of life at later stages." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Duvander, Ann-Zofie, Trude Lappegård, Synøve N. Andersen, Ólöf Garðarsdóttir, Gerda Neyer & Ida Viklund (2019): Parental leave policies and continued childbearing in Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. In: Demographic Research, Jg. 40, S. 1501-1528. DOI:10.4054/DemRes.2019.40.51

Abstract

"Background: Demographic theories maintain that family policies that support gender equality may lead to higher fertility levels in postindustrial societies. This phenomenon is often exemplified by the situation in the Nordic countries. These countries have parental leave policies that promote a gender-equal work-care balance for both parents, and these countries have comparatively high fertility levels. However, very little is known about the association between these policies and childbearing at the individual level.
Objective: We explore how fathers' parental leave use is related to subsequent childbearing in Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, and we examine whether differences exist in childbearing outcomes among fathers who use no leave, those who use only the leave allocated to them by the policy, and those who use more than that amount of leave.
Methods: The study is based on 15 years of administrative register data on parental leave use in Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Event history analysis is used to follow parental couples from the end of the parental leave use for their first or second child until a new birth takes place.
Results: There is a positive association between fathers' leave use and second births in all three countries, while there is a negative association between fathers' parental leave use and third births in Norway and Sweden. Taking more than the 'father's quota' does not consistently increase the second-birth intensities.
Conclusions: The two-child norm is closely connected to the norm of fathers being engaged in child rearing, while only a select group of fathers continue with a third child.
Contribution: The study shows that the association between gender equality and fertility differs between countries and by the parity of the child. It also shows the need to differentiate between policy-induced gender-equal behavior and gender-egalitarian parenting." (Author's abstract, © Max-Planck-Institut für demographische Forschung) ((en))

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Ellingsæter, Anne Lise & Ragnhild Steen Jensen (2019): Politicising women's part-time work in Norway. A longitudinal study of ideas. In: Work, employment and society, Jg. 33, H. 3, S. 444-461. DOI:10.1177/0950017018821277

Abstract

"Numerous studies have expanded the understanding of part-time work as a gendered labour market phenomenon. However, there has been little research into how societies perceive women's part-time work over time. The passage of several decades since women in great numbers entered the labour market in Scandinavia, many in part-time jobs, provides an opportunity to investigate this. We examine ideas about the nature and desirability of part-time work for women based on government advisory commission reports published in Norway between 1978 and 2016. With the gender contract as a conceptual lens, this longitudinal study of ideas demonstrates how a changing national context transformed perceptions of women's part-time work and the 'woman worker'. From being a strategy for increasing women's economic independence and individual choice, part-time work has become undesirable, whereas full-time work for all women is promoted. The ideational and institutional drivers of the politicisation of women's part-time work are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Seehuus, Sara (2019): Social class background and gender-(a)typical choices of fields of study in higher education. In: The British journal of sociology, Jg. 70, H. 4, S. 1349-1373. DOI:10.1111/1468-4446.12668

Abstract

"By employing a Bourdieu-inspired class scheme that differentiates between classes' volume and composition of capital, and by analysing Norwegian administrative register data for birth cohorts between 1987 and 1992, this paper examines the relationship between social class background and gender-(a)typical choices of higher education. Fields of study in higher education in much of the Western world remain segregated by gender despite the gender gap in educational attainment having been reversed. However, some changes have taken place due to the influx of women into male-dominated, high-status fields. Few recent studies have examined the relationship between social class background and gendered educational choices in light of these changes; furthermore, the focus of previous research has been limited to the vertical dimension of class. The results presented in this article suggest that men and women are more likely to make gender-atypical choices when this leads to social mobility and that focusing solely on the vertical dimension of class may mask horizontal differences." (Author's abstract, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Sánchez-Mira, Núria & Jacqueline O'Reilly (2019): Household employment and the crisis in Europe. In: Work, employment and society, Jg. 33, H. 3, S. 422-443. DOI:10.1177/0950017018809324

Abstract

"The 2008 crisis had a significant impact on household employment in some European countries. An analysis of the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions generated a new cross-national typology of household employment structures and showed how these changed during the crisis and austerity period, capturing the experiences of high and low qualified households. Findings indicate that dual earning households are not always a consequence of gender equality but result from economic necessity or employment opportunities. The re-emergence of traditional male breadwinner households is often the result of female unemployment, especially for lower educated women. An increase in female single earners and workless households is evident in countries hit hardest by the employment crisis. The value of this cross-national typology, rooted in the interaction of educational effects and employment opportunities, is allowing comparison both within and between European countries, going beyond established typologies based on policy frameworks or gender cultures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Andresen, Martin Eckhoff & Tarjei Havnes (2018): Child care, parental labor supply and tax revenue. (IZA discussion paper 11576), Bonn, 48 S.

Abstract

"We study the impact of child care for toddlers on the labor supply of mothers and fathers in Norway. For identification, we exploit the staggered expansion across municipalities following a large reform from 2002. Our IV-estimates indicate that child care use causes an increase in the labor supply of mothers. Results suggest that cohabiting mothers move towards full time employment, while single mothers move to part time. Meanwhile, we find no impact for fathers or grandparents. We also find an increase in the taxes paid from cohabiting mothers, lending some support to the argument that parts of the cost of child care is offset by increased taxes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Axelsdóttir, Laufey & Sigtona Halrynjo (2018): Gender balance in executive management. Top-managers' understanding of barriers and solutions from the demand-supply perspective. In: Social Politics, Jg. 25, H. 2, S. 287-314. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxy012

Abstract

"The under-representation of women in executive management stands in contrast to their educational attainment, and labor market participation in most countries. This paper examines to what degree top-managers in the gender equal states, Iceland and Norway, agree with established demand - supply explanations of the problem, and suggested instruments for solutions. Drawing on a quantitative dataset of 908 managers in the 250 largest companies, the results emphasize that the divide between demand- and supply-side barriers and solutions may be less clear-cut in practice than theory. Our findings suggest a combination of demand- and supply-policies to enhance gender balance in top-executive management." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bütikofer, Aline, Sissel Jensen & Kjell G. Salvanes (2018): The role of parenthood on the gender gap among top earners. In: European Economic Review, Jg. 109, H. October, S. 103-123. DOI:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2018.05.008

Abstract

"Is the wage penalty due to motherhood larger among highly qualified women? In this paper, we study the effect of parenthood on the careers of high-achieving women relative to high-achieving men in a set of high-earning professions with either nonlinear or linear wage structures. Using Norwegian registry data, we find that the child earnings penalty for mothers in professions with a nonlinear wage structure, MBAs and lawyers, is substantially larger than for mothers in professions with a linear wage structure. The gender earnings gap for MBA and law graduates is around 30%, but substantially less for STEM and medicine graduates, 10 years after childbirth. In addition, we provide some descriptive statistics on the role of fertility timing on the child earnings penalty." (Author's abstract, © 2018 Elsevier) ((en))

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Castellano, Rosalia & Antonella Rocca (2018): Gender disparities in European labour markets. A comparison between female and male employees. In: International Labour Review, Jg. 157, H. 4, S. 589-608. DOI:10.1111/ilr.12052

Abstract

"In recent decades, the dramatic increase in female labour force participation was connected to significant changes in the economic opportunities reserved to women. However, gender disparities in the labour market still persist in many forms.
In this study we want to verify if in the European labour markets higher gender differentials are directly connected with bad economic conditions. Starting from the GGLMI, a composite indicator designed and developed by the authors in a previous study, besides updating the results, we construct other three composite indicators analysing separately female and male conditions in the labour market and the gender gap." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chan, Marc K. & Kai Liu (2018): Life-cycle and intergenerational effects of child care reforms. In: Quantitative economics, Jg. 9, H. 2, S. 659-706. DOI:10.3982/QE617

Abstract

"We investigate the importance of various mechanisms by which child care policies can affect life-cycle patterns of employment and fertility among women, as well as long-run cognitive outcomes among children. A dynamic structural model of employment, fertility, and child care use is estimated using Norwegian administrative data. The estimation exploits a large-scale child care reform, which provided generous cash transfers to mothers who did not use formal child care facilities. We find that the reform generates sizable changes in employment and fertility decisions, especially among low-education women. We then use the mothers' unobserved heterogeneity in the structural model as a control function to examine the effects of mothers' behavior on long-run cognitive outcomes of children. The reform leads to lower reading scores among children, primarily as a result of mothers shifting to inferior forms of care. In counterfactual simulations, we compare the effects of an alternative child care subsidy, an expanded maternity leave program, and a tax deduction for mothers with children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dotti Sani, Giulia M. & Stefani Scherer (2018): Maternal Employment: Enabling Factors in Context. In: Work, employment and society, Jg. 32, H. 1, S. 75-92. DOI:10.1177/0950017016677944

Abstract

"Maternal employment is still below the overall EU recommended level of 60% in many European countries. Understanding the individual, household and contextual circumstances under which mothers of children of different ages are likely to be employed is crucial to develop strategies capable of increasing maternal employment. This article takes a comparative approach to investigating the characteristics associated with maternal employment in the presence of children aged 0 - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 9 and 10 - 12 years. We model the probability of being employed full-time, part-time or being a homemaker using EU-SILC data (2004 to 2007) from Germany, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom - four countries belonging to different gender and welfare regimes. The results indicate that individual and household characteristics are more relevant in determining mothers' employment in countries where the state is less supportive towards maternal employment: Italy and to a lesser extent Germany and the UK - for the period observed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Grigoli, Francesco, Zsóka Kóczán & Petia Topalova (2018): A cohort-based analysis of labor force participation for advanced economies. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 264), Maastricht, 23 S.

Abstract

"Advanced economies are in the midst of a major demographic transition, with the number of elderly rising precipitously relative to the working-age population. Yet, despite the acceleration in demographic shifts in the past decade, advanced economies experienced markedly different trajectories in overall labor force participation rates and the workforce attachment of men and women. Using a cohort-based model of labor force participation for 17 advanced economies estimated over the 1985-2016 period, we document a significant role of common patterns of participation over the life cycle and shifts in these patterns across generations for aggregate labor supply, especially in the case of women. The entry of new cohorts of women led to upward shifts in the age participation profile, boosting aggregate participation rates. However, this process plateaued in most advanced economies, with signs of reversal in some. Using the model's results to forecast future participation trends, we project sizable declines in aggregate participation rates over the next three decades due to the aging of the population. Illustrative simulations show that implementing policies encouraging labor supply can help attenuate but may not fully offset demographic pressures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Haaland, Venke Furre, Mari Rege, Kjetil Telle & Mark Votruba (2018): The intergenerational transfer of the employment gender gap. In: Labour economics, Jg. 52, H. June, S. 132-146. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2018.04.004

Abstract

"We investigate the extent to which the gap in employment rates between genders is shaped by the intergenerational transfer of gender norms. We employ rich longitudinal registry data covering the entire Norwegian population between the years 1970 and 2009 and show that a parsimonious set of family and municipality characteristics, measured in childhood, can explain a substantial part of the gender gap in full-time employment. The characteristics primarily operate through their impact on female (not male) employment. Children raised in 'high gender gap' conditions (low-educated parents, non-working mother and raised in a municipality at the highest decile for Christian Democrat voter support and lowest decile in maternal employment rates) demonstrate an employment gender gap almost four times larger than those raised in 'low gap' conditions. Our key childhood characteristics are also related to other career indicators (education, earnings, age at first marriage, age at first childbirth, being the primary breadwinner) in a way that is consistent with the transfer of gender norms. Thus, the gender employment gap appears to be shaped by intergenerational transfers of norms even in one of the most gender equal societies in the world." (Author's abstract, © 2018 Elsevier) ((en))

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Matteazzi, Eleonora, Ariane Pailhé & Anne Solaz (2018): Part-time employment, the gender wage gap and the role of wage-setting institutions. Evidence from 11 European countries. In: European journal of industrial relations, Jg. 24, H. 3, S. 221-241. DOI:10.1177/0959680117738857

Abstract

"We examine how far the over-representation of women in part-time jobs can explain the gender gap in hourly earnings, and also investigate how far wage-setting institutions are correlated with the overall gender wage gap and the female part-time wage gap. Using European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) 2009 data for 11 European countries, we implement a double decomposition of the gender wage gap: between men and women employed full-time and between full-time and part-time working women. This shows that the wage penalty of women employed part-time occurs mainly through the segregation of part-time jobs, but the full-time gender pay gap remains mostly unexplained. At the macro level, the gender wage gap tends to be higher in countries where part-time employment is more widespread. Some wage-setting institutions seem to reduce the female full-time/part-time pay gap and the gender gap among full-time workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Stier, Haya, Noah Lewin-Epstein & Michael Braun (2018): Institutional change and women's work patterns along the family life course. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 57, H. October, S. 46-55. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2018.07.001