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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Joecks, Jasmin, Anna Kurowska, Kerstin Pull & Pia Schober (2025): Multidimensional gender ideologies: How do they relate to work-family arrangements of mothers with dependent children in Poland and western Germany? In: International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Jg. 66, H. 4, S. 633-659. DOI:10.1177/00207152241293463

Abstract

"This study uses a multidimensional approach to identify gender ideologies and investigate their association with work-family arrangements among mothers of dependent children in Poland and western Germany. Based on data from the Generations and Gender Survey, we apply ordinal latent class analysis and identify five gender ideology classes: (1) traditional, (2) intensive parenting, (3) ambivalent, (4) moderately egalitarian, and (5) strongly egalitarian. In both countries, we find that the intensive parenting class resembles the traditional class in terms of lower maternal employment, a more gendered division of housework and childcare, and a smaller probability of using formal childcare, whereas the ambivalent respondents mostly practice work-care arrangements that are similar to the moderately egalitarian class. With respect to informal care, mothers who identify with strong egalitarianism significantly differ from the traditional class in western Germany, but they do not in Poland—thus highlighting the role of the cultural and institutional context in explaining the complex links between mothers’ gender ideologies and work-family arrangements." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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Nishimura, Tomo (2025): Effects of fathers’ nonstandard work schedules on childcare time. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-21. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2549785

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Roos, Louisa (2025): The true gender pay gap: Accounting for the distribution of unpaid labour. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 247. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2024.112144

Abstract

"This paper proposes a novel method to measure gender pay gaps, incorporating paid and unpaid labour. Decomposition analysis using Swiss labour force data attributes a sizable and persistent share of this pay gap to segregation across paid and unpaid work." (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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Valentova, Marie (2025): How do parents care together? Dyadic parental leave take-up strategies, wages and workplace characteristics. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 1, S. 91-114. DOI:10.1177/09500170241229281

Abstract

"The article explores the association between within-household couples’ parental leave take-up strategies and parents’ earning capacity (hourly wages) and their workplace characteristics. The results, based on the social security register data from Luxembourg, reveal that a couple strategy where both partners take parental leave is more likely when the partners have equal earning capacity, when the mother works in the sector of education, health and social services rather than in other sectors, and when the father is employed in a larger-sized company. Couples where the mother earns more than the father are more likely to opt for a strategy where neither parent takes any leave. The economic sector moderates the effect of fathers’ wages on the probability of choosing the strategy where both partners take leave." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Valentova, Marie, Roland Maas & Alison Koslowski (2025): Parental Leave Challenges From the Perspective of Employers: Understanding Sectors With Low Take‐Up by Fathers. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 32, H. 5, S. 1966-1981. DOI:10.1111/gwao.13259

Abstract

"Parental leave policies are designed to facilitate the reconciliation of family and work life. Usage of leave is related to various factors, including the parent's gender, as well as their workplace and employer's characteristics. A wealth of research has explored employees' perceptions of the role of workplaces on leave-taking, yet considerably less is known about the perspective of employers. This paper examines the challenges employers face while implementing parental leave reforms aimed at increasing take up by men. We conducted semi-structured interviews with staff responsible for implementing leave in Luxembourg-based companies where low take-up by fathers is most prevalent. We explore the perceptions of difficulties related to leave usage that companies encounter. The results show that that full-time leave remains the most common choice, while part-time or split leave is less utilized. The employers in the study report difficulties in reorganizing work, finding replacements, and reintegrating employees. The organization of replacement cover appears more challenging when employees take full-time rather than part-time leave and when employees with a highly-specialized job (irrespective of their level of education) take parental leave. These employers tend to cope with replacement issues by negotiating with employees to take more informal forms of leave or by simply not hiring employees in a certain life stage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Wu, Mengyao, Silvia Loi, D. Susie Lee & Alberto del Rey Poveda (2025): Bridging the gap? The moderating role of non-parental childcare use in the gap in maternal employment between immigrants and non-immigrants. (MPIDR working paper / Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research 2025-008), Rostock, 24 S. DOI:10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2025-008

Abstract

"While the growing inequalities between non-immigrant and immigrant mothers’ labour market outcomes have been extensively studied, the extent to which these disparities vary across nonparental childcare arrangements remains relatively underexplored. This study examines different types of childcare support – informal care only, formal care only, and mixed care arrangements – as potential moderators of the gap in maternal employment by migration background, while taking into account the immigrant mothers’ length of stay in the receiving country. Using data from the 2018 Fertility Survey in Spain, our results paint a complex picture of the distinctive roles played by different types of childcare arrangements in shaping the employment gap between immigrant and non-immigrant mothers: while long-term immigrant mothers who rely on informal or mixed childcare arrangements have higher employment rates than their non-immigrant counterparts, recent immigrant mothers benefit more from formal childcare services, which are associated with greater participation in paid work. Given that maternal employment is essential for the economic integration of immigrant families, our findings have important implications for developing more inclusive family policies aimed at improving the social inclusion of immigrant women with diverse childcare needs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Yu, Hyejin, Alexis Nicole Smith & Nikolaos Dimotakis (2025): Dollars and Domestic Duties: A 22‐Year Study of Income, Home Labor, and Gendered Career Outcomes in Dual‐Earner Couples. In: Journal of organizational behavior, Jg. 46, H. 5, S. 662-684. DOI:10.1002/job.2879

Abstract

"Although women's outsized share of household labor and subsequent career disadvantages are well-documented, the impact of income arrangements within dual-earner couples has been underexplored in the context of the work–family dynamic. Drawing upon resource and gender construction theories, we examine how income dynamics within male–female dyads can differentially affect each partner's career success via unpaid home labor. Using multilevel polynomial regression on a longitudinal sample of 7252 dual-earner couples over a 22-year period from the Household, Income, and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, we demonstrate that the interplay of income within these dyads differentially shapes partners' household labor, ultimately influencing female (but not male) career promotion. Specifically, women face a lower likelihood of promotion when in male- and female-breadwinning arrangements compared with dual-breadwinning arrangements with minimal resource differentials, partly due to the increased household labor. Among dual-breadwinning arrangements, we find that female partners have a higher chance of promotion when male partners have similarly high (versus low) income levels, due to reduced household labor. Our supplementary analysis uncovers that work centrality accounts for the gendered impact of household labor on promotion while also illustrating how the effect of income arrangements evolves over 22 years. Overall, our findings provide new revelations on how breadwinning arrangements within couples can reinforce or hinder women's career advancement, while largely leaving men's careers unaffected, through the gendered spillover effect of unpaid household labor." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aavik, Kadri, Pille Ubakivi-Hadachi, Maaris Raudsepp & Triin Roosalu (2024): The gender pay gap—What's the problem represented to be? Analyzing the discourses of Estonian employers, employees, and state officials on pay equality. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 31, H. 1, S. 171-191. DOI:10.1111/gwao.13061

Abstract

"The gender pay gap (GPG) remains significant in most countries and is a key indicator of gender inequality in society. Qualitative research on the GPG is scarce, yet, qualitative perspectives on the GPG are valuable as the ways in which the GPG is understood and talked about shape actions to tackle it. This article focuses on how the GPG is represented in the context of work and organizations, inspired by the “What's the Problem Represented to be?” approach, developed by Carol Bacchi. The analysis draws on qualitative data—63 interviews with employers, employees, and state officials—collected in Estonia which exhibits one of the largest GPGs in the European Union. Five dominant representations of the GPG were identified: the GPG as (a) consciously produced by employers, (b) different pay for the same work, (c) unmeasurable due to “unique” and “incomparable” jobs and workers, (d) produced by women's failure to ask for fair pay, and (e) impossible for employers to reduce because of market forces. Collectively, these representations render the GPG inevitable, downplaying its emergence as a result of specific gendered social practices. This has implications for the employers' and the state's willingness and strategies to reduce the GPG." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Acosta-Ballesteros, Juan, María Del Pilar Osorno-Del Rosal & Olga María Rodríguez-Rodríguez (2024): Gender occupational segregation: a new approach to quantifying the effect of educational segregation. In: Applied Economics, S. 1-15. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2024.2423067

Abstract

"This article analyses the impact of educational segregation on the gender gap in the probability of working in a gendered or gender-balanced occupation, which is our measure of occupational segregation. Specifically, our methodology allows quantifying two different effects of education on this gap: one due to girls and boys choosing different educational options (presorting), and the other due to men and women with the same education entering the same or different occupations (postsorting). Using a sample of university graduates from Spain, a country with a highly segregated labor market, we conclude that the gender composition of education and occupation are strongly related. However, the greater presence of women in female-dominated jobs is not only due to them choosing female-dominated degrees, but also due to many women from gender-balanced, and even some from male-dominated programs, working in female-dominated occupations. Thus, reducing educational segregation does not seem to be enough to fight against occupational segregation. It is also necessary to guarantee that men and women enjoy the same opportunities in the labour market, removing discrimination practices, and to ensure that both, workers and employers, do not make decisions based on gender role expectations or stereotypes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Afonso, António & M. Carmen Blanco-Arana (2024): The Persistence of Gender Pay and Employment Gaps in European Countries. (CESifo working paper 11315), München, 18 S.

Abstract

"The gender pay gap and the gender gap in employment remains persistent in Europe despite the basic assertion of gender equality under EU law. We assess the factors that influence the gender pay gap and gender employment gap across European countries. Therefore, we use an unbalanced panel of 31 European countries over the period 2000-2022, and estimate a system generalized method of moment model (GMM). The main conclusions confirm that tertiary education significantly reduces gender pay gap and part-time and temporary contracts significantly increase this gap. Moreover, part-time reduces significantly gender employment gap. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita does not affect these gaps and the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) saw a narrowing of the gender pay and employment gaps in European countries. The results are robust when using a fixed effects (FE) model." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Alfani, Federica, Fabio Clementi, Michele Fabiani, Vasco Molini & Enzo Valentini (2024): Does gender equality in labor participation bring equality? Evidence from developing and developed countries. In: Empirical economics, Jg. 67, H. 1, S. 289-311. DOI:10.1007/s00181-023-02545-0

Abstract

"The female labor force participation (FLFP) has a strong and significant dis-equalizing impact in at least three groups of developing countries, and relatively low initial participation levels, based on a macro- and micro-data comparison, whereas, in developed countries, both a cross-country comparison and a literature review have shown that the relationship is tendentially equalizing. Based on a decile-level data analysis in developing countries, we found that the FLFP showed higher levels of returns among top deciles compared to the lower ones. This evidence emphasizes the importance of developing policies to encourage participation among women belonging to lower deciles of the income distribution." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Berkery, Elaine, Caroline Murphy & Christine Cross (2024): Gender Balance on State Boards in Ireland: To the Forefront of Progress or Concealing the Status Quo? In: Social Politics, Jg. 31, H. 1, S. 22-48. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxac045

Abstract

"In this article, we examine female appointments to government-owned corporations, called State Sponsored Boards (SSBs), in Ireland over a twenty-eight-year period, to analyze the extent to which gender parity has been achieved using voluntary gender targets. Using data from thirty-four SSBs, we found that overall figures relating to the achievement of gender parity on SSBs are masking the reality of female representation on these boards. We have demonstrated that the high concentration of females on particular boards is increasing the overall average gender representation figures, and as a result, a high proportion of boards are not meeting their gender targets. This research provides evidence of the importance of taking a more nuanced approach to examining gender diversity on boards as a whole." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bičáková, Alena & Klára Kalíšková (2024): Is longer maternal care always beneficial? The impact of a 4-year paid parental leave. In: Journal of Population Economics, Jg. 37. DOI:10.1007/s00148-024-01010-1

Abstract

"We study the impact of an extension of paid family leave in the Czech Republic from 3 to 4 years on children’s long-term outcomes. We find that an additional year of maternal care at age 3 has an adverse effect on children’s human capital investments and labor market attachment. Affected children are 6 percentage points less likely to be enrolled in college and 4 percentage points more likely to be not in education, employment, or training (NEET) at age 21–22. While the negative impact on education is persistent, with an 8 percentage points lower probability of completing college by the age of 27, the effect on NEET is short-lived. The results are driven by children of low-educated mothers, whose education and NEET outcomes are affected by as much as 12 percentage points. Our findings are consistent with previously documented positive effects of universal childcare on child long-term outcomes and with the fact that the extended maternal care induced by the extension of family leave led to a postponement of public kindergarten enrollment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Bugallo, María, Domingo Morales, María Dolores Esteban & Maria Chiara Pagliarella (2024): Model-Based Estimation of Small Area Dissimilarity Indexes: An Application to Sex Occupational Segregation in Spain. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 174, H. 2, S. 473-501. DOI:10.1007/s11205-024-03393-w

Abstract

"This paper introduces a new statistical methodology for estimating Duncan dissimilarity indexes of occupational segregation by sex in administrative areas and time periods. Given that direct estimators of the proportion of men (or women) in the group of employed people for each occupational sector are not accurate enough in the considered estimation domains, we fit to them a three-fold Fay–Herriot model with random effects at three hierarchical levels. Based on the fitted area-level model, empirical best predictors of the cited proportions and Duncan segregation indexes are derived. A parametric bootstrap algorithm is implemented to estimate the mean squared error. Some simulation studies are included to show how the proposed predictors have a good balance between bias and mean squared error. Data from the Spanish Labour Force Survey are used to illustrate the performance of the new statistical methodology and to give some light about the current state of sex occupational segregation by province in Spain. Research claims that there is a sex gap that persists despite advances in the inclusion of women in the labour market in recent years and that is related to the unequal sharing of family responsabilities and the stigmas still present in modern societies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Chiang, Yi-Lin & Ran Liu (2024): Egalitarian penalty or reward? A longitudinal study of adolescent gender attitudes and adulthood income. In: Social science research, Jg. 119. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2024.103000

Abstract

"Studies often attribute the persistent gender pay gap to different labor force experiences between men and women. Yet, attitudes formed in earlier life stages also critically shape individual outcomes. Using longitudinal data from Taiwan, this study examines whether and how adolescents’ gender attitudes are related to income in young adulthood. We test two pathways that mediate this relationship at different time points: the attitude continuity pathway from adolescence to young adulthood, hypothesized by the path-dependence theory, and the occupational pathway during young adulthood, hypothesized by the gender socialization perspective. The findings show that girls with egalitarian attitudes are rewarded, as both pathways facilitate higher income in adulthood. However, boys with egalitarian attitudes are simultaneously rewarded and penalized based on different occupational characteristics, resulting in an overall null effect. This study highlights the importance of adolescent gender attitudes and the differential consequences for men and women in the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Choi, Koangsung, Francesco Renna & Chung Choe (2024): The impact of field of study on the gender wage gap: evidence from the first job offer out of college. In: Applied Economics, Jg. 56, H. 53, S. 6713-6729. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2023.2276078

Abstract

"Using a sample of recently graduated college students from South Korea, we estimate the effects of the between-majors and within-major gender wage gap. We use a recentered influence function to decompose the wage differential between majors and find that women face a higher rate of return to the field of study. In addition, women tend to select their program of study with the intention of optimizing their earnings potential relative to men. In calculating the within-major gender wage gap, we control for selectivity into a field of study extending the current methodology to a multinomial logit setting. We test our model using a sample of new graduates from South Korea. We consider six college majors. The within-major wage differential ranged from 8.2% for natural science graduates to 17% for social science graduates. After selection is accounted for, the gender wage gap becomes smaller in humanities graduates but increases in natural science and medicine graduates. Decomposing the selection correction term into explained and unexplained factors eliminates discrimination in medicine and points to reverse discrimination in natural science." (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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Ciasullo, Ludovica & Martina Uccioli (2024): What Works for Working Couples? Work Arrangements, Maternal Labor Supply, and the Division of Home Production. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16991), Bonn, 87 S.

Abstract

"We document how a change to work arrangements reduces the child penalty in labor supply for women, and that the consequent more equal distribution of household income does not translate into a more equal division of home production between mothers and fathers. The Australian 2009 Fair Work Act explicitly entitled parents of young children to request a (reasonable) change in work arrangements. Leveraging variation in the timing of the law, timing of childbirth, and the bite of the law across different occupations and industries, we establish three main results. First, the Fair Work Act was used by new mothers to reduce their weekly working hours without renouncing their permanent contract, hence maintaining a regular schedule. Second, with this work arrangement, working mothers’ child penalty declined from a 47 percent drop in hours worked to a 38 percent drop. Third, while this implies a significant shift towards equality in the female- and male-shares of household income, we do not observe any changes in the female (disproportionate) share of home production." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Domit, Sílvia & Damla Kesimal (2024): Labor Market Gender Gaps in Türkiye: A Bird’s Eye View. (IMF working papers / International Monetary Fund 2024,171), Washington, DC, 20 S.

Abstract

"Despite recent improvements, Türkiye’s low female labor force participation and high share of informal female workers stand out internationally. Closing these gender gaps would boost medium-term growth and make it more inclusive. This paper puts these gaps in an international context, explores their interlinkages with fiscal policies, and identifies policy priorities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Doorley, Karina & Claire Keane (2024): Tax-benefit systems and the gender gap in income. In: Journal of Economic Inequality, Jg. 22, H. 2, S. 285-309. DOI:10.1007/s10888-023-09594-6

Abstract

"The gender wage gap and the gender work gap are sizable, persistent and well documented for many countries. The result of the gender wage and gender work gap combined is an income gap between men and women. A small literature has begun to examine how the tax-benefit system contributes to closing gender income gaps by redistributing between men and women. In this paper, we study the effect of tax-benefit policy on gender differences in income in the EU27 countries and the UK. We use microsimulation models linked to survey data to estimate gender gaps in market income (before taxes and transfers) and disposable income (after taxes and transfers) for each country. We then decompose the difference between the gender gap in market income and the gender gap in disposable income into the relative contribution of taxes and benefits in each country. We also isolate the relative contributions of the gender wage gap and the gender work gap to the overall gap in income between men and women in two of these countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Echeverría, Lucía, J. Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina (2024): Commuting in dual-earner households: international gender differences with time use surveys. In: Review of Economics of the Household, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1007/s11150-024-09726-5

Abstract

"Prior studies show men commute longer than women, often due to household responsibilities. However, research on commuting differences within couples is limited. This study examines gender gaps in commuting times and mode choices among dual-earner couples in Spain, Italy, South Korea, and the UK. Using Ordinary Least Squares regressions, we find that the presence of children significantly increases gender gaps in commuting times in Italy and the UK, supporting the household responsibility hypothesis. Conversely, no significant link between children and gender gaps is observed in Spain and Korea. Additionally, children’s presence affects commuting mode choices in Italy across all modes, and in Korea for public transit only, with Italian women showing the most changes in commuting mode when children are present." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Ewald, Alina, Emilee Gilbert & Kate Huppatz (2024): Knowing your place: the role of occupational status in fathers' flexible working. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 27, H. 4, S. 454-471. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2023.2207717

Abstract

"This study explored how fathers’ occupational status shapes their constructions, experiences, and negotiations of Flexible Working. In particular, we examined whether occupational status impacted men’s access to, and the acceptability of using FWAs for the purposes of care. Data from semi-structured interviews with 43 working fathers from diverse occupational roles within the Australian financial sector were analysed using Foucauldian discourse analysis. Findings suggest that fathers’ access to flexibility is contingent upon and shaped by their position in the organisational hierarchy. Fathers in ‘higher-status’ roles reported significant power and agency in their access to and adoption of FWAs. However, a major barrier to their use of flexibility was the discursively constructed expectation that men in these positions should be dedicated to their paid work role and career progression rather than caring for their child(ren). In contrast, men in ‘lower-status’ roles lacked autonomy, agency, and power in relation to accessing flexibility for caring purposes. These fathers reported being closely monitored in their paid working roles, having little flexibility available to them in these roles, and felt trepidatious about even requesting FWAs for caring for their child(ren)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Frémeaux, Nicolas, SeEun Jung & Arnaud Lefranc (2024): Assortative mating and earnings inequality in South Korea. In: Journal of Economic Inequality, Jg. 22, H. 1, S. 211-236. DOI:10.1007/s10888-023-09588-4

Abstract

"We analyze economic assortative mating and its contribution to earnings inequality in South Korea from 1998 to 2018. Our analysis is based on cross-sectional and panel data and accounts for several methodological issues, including measurement error and sample selection bias. Despite a very high level of assortativeness in education, Korea exhibits a negative correlation in earnings between spouses due to low female labor force participation and its negative correlation with male earnings. However, the correlation is large and positive for hourly earnings, among dual-earner couples. Cohort analysis reveals significant changes in earnings correlations, as rising female labor force participation offsets slightly declining educational sorting among younger cohorts. As a result, assortative mating contributes to a very limited extent to inequality between households in observed monthly earnings, but accounts for a sizable fraction, around to 15%, of inequality between household in hourly earnings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Gallen, Yana (2024): Motherhood and the Gender Productivity Gap. In: Journal of the European Economic Association, Jg. 22, H. 3, S. 1055-1096. DOI:10.1093/jeea/jvad064

Abstract

"Using Danish matched employer–employee data, I compare the relative pay of men and women to their relative productivity as measured by production function estimation. I find that the gender “productivity gap” is 8%, implying that almost two thirds of the residual gender wage gap is due to productivity differences between men and women. Motherhood plays an important role, yet it also reveals a puzzle: The pay gap for mothers is entirely explained by productivity, whereas the gap for non-mothers is not. In addition, the decoupling of pay and productivity for women without children happens during their prime-child bearing years. These estimates are robust to a variety of specifications for the impact of observables on productivity, and robust to accounting for endogenous sorting of women into less productive firms using a control-function approach. This paper also provides estimates of the productivity gap across industries and occupations, finding the same general patterns for mothers compared to women without children within these subgroups." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Garraio, Carolina, Marc Grau-Grau, Paula Mena Matos & Marisa Matias (2024): First-time Fathers Navigating Caregiving and Paid Work: A Dyadic and Longitudinal Qualitative Study. (SocArXiv papers), 38 S. DOI:10.31234/osf.io/gr79x

Abstract

"This study aimed to explore how first-time (heterosexual) fathers’ Involvement in caregiving and paid work roles was (co)constructed with their partners during the transition to parenthood. The transition to parenthood entails adaptations and emotional experiences that make this period unique for fathers. Importantly, the emergence of the father role occurs within a relational context. However, few studies use a dyadic lens, and even fewer take a longitudinal approach to capture the unfolding dynamics during the transition to parenthood. An even smaller number combine these perspectives with a qualitative approach to understand how fathers construct and negotiate their new role within the coparenting relationship. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with each member of a couple in two waves: during the third trimester of pregnancy and 18 months after birth. We analyzed data from 10 couples (40 interviews in total) using a combination of dyadic and longitudinal approaches. We identified three categories of couples, describing broad patterns and typical behaviors, values, and beliefs about work and parenting roles: “working fathers, caring mothers,” “in-between care and work” and “equal care, equal work”. Fathers’ involvement in caregiving and paid work roles begins to take shape early in pregnancy through co-constructive processes, influenced by an interplay of individual and shared expectations and available resources. Our findings highlight the importance of psychological interventions during the transition to parenthood to foster a supportive and adaptive family environment, and promote fathers’ involvement." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Giannantoni, Costanza & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose (2024): Regional government institutions and the capacity for women to reconcile career and motherhood. (Papers in evolutionary economic geography 2024,35), Utrecht, 44 S.

Abstract

"Declining fertility and the persistent underrepresentation of women in the labor market are key concerns of our time. The fact that they overlap is not fortuitous. Traditionally, women everywhere have faced a conflict in balancing their career ambitions with family responsibilities. Yet, the pressures arising from this conflict vary enormously from one place to another. Existing research has tended to overlook the geographical features of this dilemma, which could result in an inadequate understanding of the issue and lead to ineffective policy responses. This paper examines how variations in the quality of regional institutions affect women's capacity to reconcile career and motherhood and, consequently, gender equality within Europe. Using panel data from 216 regions across 18 European countries, we uncover a positive effect of regional institutional quality on fertility rates, taking into account variations in female employment. Moreover, we show that European regions with better government quality provide a more reliable environment for managing the career/motherhood dilemma often faced by women. In contrast, women living in regions with weaker government institutions are more constrained in both their career and childbearing options." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((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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Gottlieb, Charles, Cheryl Doss, Douglas Gollin & Markus Poschke (2024): The Gender Division of Work across Countries. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16896), Bonn, 64 S.

Abstract

"Across countries, women and men allocate time differently between market work, domestic services, and care work. In this paper, we document the gender division of work, drawing on a new harmonized data set that provides us with high-quality time use data for 50 countries spanning the global income distribution. A striking feature of the data is the wide dispersion across countries at similar income levels. We use these data to motivate a macroeconomic model of household time use in which country-level allocations are shaped by wages and a set of "wedges" that resemble productivity, preferences, and disutilities. Taking the model to country-level observations, we find that a wedge related to the disutility of market work for women plays a crucial role in generating the observed dispersion of outcomes, particularly for middle-income countries. Variation in the division of non-market work is principally shaped by a wedge indicating greater disutility for men, which is especially large in some low- and middle-income countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Guner, Nezih, Ezgi Kaya & Virginia Sánchez-Marcos (2024): Labor Market Institutions and Fertility. (HCEO working paper / Human capital and economic opportunity global working group 2024,006), Chicago, Ill., 74 S.

Abstract

"Among high-income countries, fertility rates differ significantly, with some experiencing total fertility rates as low as 1 to 1.3 children per woman. However, the reasons behind low fertility rates are not well understood. We show that uncertainty created by dual labor markets, the coexistence of temporary and open-ended contracts, and the inflexibility of work schedules are crucial to understanding low fertility. Using rich administrative data from the Spanish Social Security records, we document that temporary contracts are associated with a lower probability of first birth. With Time Use data, we also show that women with children are less likely to work in jobs with split-shift schedules. Such jobs have a long break in the middle of the day, and present a concrete example of inflexible work arrangements and fixed time cost of work. We then build a life-cycle model in which married women decide whether to work, how many children to have, and when to have them. Reforms that eliminate duality or split-shift schedules increase women's labor force participation and reduce the employment gap between mothers and non-mothers. They also increase fertility for women who are employed. Reforming these labor market institutions and providing childcare subsidies would increase the completed fertility of married women to 1.8 children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Guner, Nezih, Ezgi Kaya & Virginia Sánchez-Marcos (2024): Labor Market Institutions and Fertility. In: International Economic Review, Jg. 65, H. 3, S. 1551-1587. DOI:10.1111/iere.12708

Abstract

"Some high-income countries have total fertility rates as low as one child. Using Spanish administrative data, we document that temporary contracts correlate with lower first birth rates. Also, women with children are less likely to work split-shift jobs with long breaks in the middle of the day. We build a life-cycle model where women decide on labor supply and fertility. We show that reforms eliminating duality or split-shift jobs raise women's labor participation, narrow the employment gap between mothers and nonmothers, and boost fertility for working women. These reforms, together with childcare subsidies, increase married women's fertility to 1.8 children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Harris, Candice & Jarrod Haar (2024): Work and family interaction management: the case for zigzag working. In: The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 35, H. 18, S. 3001-3023. DOI:10.1080/09585192.2024.2390986

Abstract

"The present study seeks to advance understanding of the interaction of work and family roles. Typically, while the intersection of these domains is established as either being detrimental (i.e. work-family conflict) or beneficial (i.e. work-family enrichment), we argue there is a fundamental issue with timing. Specifically, we offer zigzag working as an approach to understanding how work and family interact. We suggest, rather than roles operating separately (e.g. work to family or family to work), the reality of work is where employees have work and family roles intersecting simultaneously. We believe this provides unique insights for those with dependent responsibilities, representing potentially both a unique challenge and benefit. Our study has two samples (n?=?318 employees and n?=?373 managers) and we find support for zigzag working at the day-level and while it is positively related to work-family conflict dimensions it is also positively related to happiness. Overall, our paper offers a new lens on work-family border negotiation, providing empirical evidence showing that zigzag working does occur and that it appears to have unique properties. Importantly, zigging and zagging around work and dependents during a typical day represents both positive and negative effects, highlighting a unique occurrence within the literature." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Haupt, Andreas & Dafna Gelbgiser (2024): The gendered division of cognitive household labor, mental load, and family–work conflict in European countries. In: European Societies, Jg. 26, H. 3, S. 828-854. DOI:10.1080/14616696.2023.2271963

Abstract

"The unequal division of cognitive labor within households, and its potential association with mental load and stress, has gained substantial interest in recent public and scholarly discussions. We aim to deepen this debate theoretically and empirically. First, going beyond the question of whether the division of cognitive labor is gendered, we connect cognitive household labor with existing stress theories and ask whether men and women typically perform cognitive labor tasks that involve different levels of stress. We then discuss whether women perform these stressful tasks more often, making them more prone to higher levels of Family–work conflict. Second, we test the association between the division of cognitive labor and Family–work conflict empirically using large-scale survey data from 10 European countries within the Generations & Gender Programme (GGP). Results based on logistic regressions confirm that a high share of cognitive labor increases women's Family–work conflict, but not men's. We discuss future directions in the conceptualization and measurement of cognitive labor in the household and its implications for mental load. Through its contributions, this paper lays the foundations for a comprehensive understanding of the implications of an unequal division of cognitive labor in the household for gender inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hiriscau, Andra (2024): The Effect of Paid Maternity Leave on Fertility and Mothers’ Labor Force Participation. In: Journal of labor research, Jg. 45, H. 3, S. 350-384. DOI:10.1007/s12122-024-09361-0

Abstract

"This study examines how paid maternity leave (ML) impacted fertility and mothers’ labor force participation in Romania. The ML gives mothers the right to paid leave until the child turns one year old, and it offers 65% of monthly income before birth. I examine the effects of this policy change using a regression discontinuity design and census data. I show that mothers who are eligible for ML are 2.5 percentage-points more likely to have an additional child than those ineligible. The effect is persistent for seven years after the policy was implemented. I find no significant results regarding the mother’s labor force participation. These results have important implications regarding the shrinking working-age population and the ability to fund benefits programs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Inoue, Chihiro, Yusuke Ishihata & Shintaro Yamaguchi (2024): Working from home leads to more family-oriented men. In: Review of Economics of the Household, Jg. 22, H. 2, S. 783-829. DOI:10.1007/s11150-023-09682-6

Abstract

"We examine how working from home (WFH) affects men’s participation in childcare and housework and their attitudes toward family. Because WFH is an endogenous decision, we apply a first-difference instrumental variable estimator, taking the degree to which one can work from home, measured at the individual level, as the instrument. We find that WFH increases the time that men spend on household chores and with family, and the fraction of men who consider life more important than work. Although WFH decreases their commuting time, we find no evidence that it reduces working hours or self-perceived productivity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))