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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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Herzberg-Druker, Efrat (2025): Couples' division of paid work and rising income inequality: A study of 21 OECD countries. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 99. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2025.101084

Abstract

"Numerous scholars have explored the association between women's changing employment patterns and the changing income inequality in recent decades. While most studies indicate that increased women's employment reduces household inequality, a few suggest the opposite effect. This research investigated whether shifts in the division of paid work (i.e., changes in the working hours) among heterosexual couples, as compared to changes in women's work alone, contribute to changes in income inequality. It also examined whether the selection of couples into the different types of division of paid work based on their level of education is a mechanism underlying the growing inequality. Based on counterfactual analyses of data from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS), encompassing 21 OECD countries, the findings demonstrate shifts in couples' division of paid work, particularly the increase in fulltime dual-earner households, are associated with rising income inequality in most countries studied. However, changes in educational attainment were not found to be the mechanism underlying the association between changes in couples' division of paid work and changes in income inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

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Hess, Stephanie & Christian Schneickert (2025): Status Seeking and Work-Family Conflicts: How the Pursuit of Wealth and Success Threatens Family Peace in 26 Countries. In: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Jg. 46, H. 1, S. 146-166. DOI:10.1007/s10834-024-09982-8

Abstract

"This paper takes a cross-national perspective and examines the association between the individual disposition to pursue wealth and success (status seeking) and work–family conflicts. We use data from the 2010 European Social Survey on more than 15,000 individuals from 26 countries who were of working age and living in families with children. The sample selection followed a stratified random sampling strategy and data were collected via computer-assisted personal interviews and pen and pencil interviews administered by trained interview personnel. Employing pooled and comparative single-country regression analyses as well as correlational analyses at the macro-level of countries, our results show that status seeking is related to higher levels of work–family conflict but that the strength of association is vastly different across countries. This individual-level effect is mainly driven by job characteristics and less so by socio-demographics in most of the countries studied. At the country level, better conditions for work and family reconciliation provided by welfare states dampen the effect of ambitiousness on work–family conflict, but only marginally. Interestingly, national wealth (GDP) strengthens the association, while differences in income inequality (Gini coefficient) among countries are not relevant in this regard. Our results highlight the need for a cross-national perspective when determining the antecedents of work–family conflicts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Hipp, Lena & Kristin Kelley (2025): Gender differences in paid work over time: Developments and challenges in comparative research. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 20. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0322871

Abstract

"This paper examines gender differences in paid work over time and illustrates the pitfalls encountered by any comparative research that only considers either labor force participation rates or average working hours. To do so, we analyze harmonized survey data from Europe and the United States from 1992 to 2022 (N = 43,283,172) and show that more progress was made in closing gender gaps in labor force participation rates than in working hours. In most countries, women’s labor force participation rates increased considerably, but their average working hours decreased, whereas both men’s labor force participation rates and average working hours decreased or stagnated (but nonetheless still remained much higher than women’s). We show and argue that these countervailing trends in working hours and labor force participation rates make it difficult to paint a coherent picture of cross-national differences in women ’s and men’s paid work and of changes over time. In response, we propose “work volume” as a supplementary or alternative measure for any type of comparative research. Work volume records zero working hours for nonemployed individuals and thus allows straightforward comparisons between women’s and men’s (or any other groups’) involvement in paid work. Using the proposed work volume measure, we show that gender gaps in paid work decreased over time, but that even in 2022, men’s involvement in paid work remained considerably higher than women’s—with gender gaps being lowest in the Scandinavian and the former Communist countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hook, Jennifer L. & Meiying Li (2025): National Work-Family Policies and Gender Earnings Inequality in 26 OECD Countries, 1999 to 2019. In: Socius, Jg. 11, S. 1-21. DOI:10.1177/23780231251360042

Abstract

"The authors investigate whether work-family policies help incorporate women into the labor market, but exacerbate the gender earnings gap and motherhood penalty, especially for mothers and/or tertiary-educated women. The authors use repeated cross-sectional income data from the Luxembourg Income Study database (1999–2019) (n = 26 countries, 280 country-years, 2.9 million employees) combined with an original collection of indicators on work-family policies, labor market conditions, and gender norms. The authors find that only one work-family policy, long paid parental leave (longer than six months), is associated with a larger gender earnings gap for mothers and tertiary-educated women. The negative relationship between long paid leave and women’s earning percentile is not well explained by selection, full-time status, work hours, experience, occupation, or sector, suggesting discrimination mechanisms. These findings add to the growing evidence that long paid leave specifically, as opposed to work-family policies more generally, cleaves the labor market outcomes of women from men." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Insarauto, Valeria & Danilo Bolano (2025): Gender Role Attitudes and the Reproduction of Occupational Sex Segregation: An Analysis of Attitudes towards Women’s Voluntary Childlessness in Europe. In: Work, Employment and Society, S. 1-25. DOI:10.1177/09500170251348821

Abstract

"This article contributes to the literature on gender role attitudes and the reproduction of occupational sex segregation by investigating how attitudes towards women’s voluntary childlessness relate to the embeddedness of individuals in sex-typed occupations. While previous studies have found that more favorable attitudes are more common among women than men, they have not established why this is so. We argue that the differing allocation of men and women to sex-typed occupations carries gender-specific pressures towards gender-role congruence, which are likely to shape the perceived costs of motherhood and, hence, attitudes towards female childlessness differently. We test this argument by drawing on European Social Survey data. Findings show that women with more favourable attitudes are most likely to work in male-dominated occupations and hold high-status positions, highlighting the enduring force and differentiated saliency of gender beliefs across sex-segregated occupations. We discuss the implications for the reproduction of occupational sex segregation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ivanova, Dimitrina & Anna Kurowska (2025): European childcare regimes beyond the ‘average family’ model: A fuzzy clustering analysis. In: Journal of European Social Policy, S. 1-22. DOI:10.1177/09589287251386678

Abstract

"The sustained expansion of early childhood care policies across Europe has altered the landscape of work-family reconciliation, yet this transformation remains unevenly distributed across social groups. This study utilises an intersectional (de)familialisation framework that attends to inequalities of access to parental leave and childcare provision. Drawing on comprehensive policy data across European countries, we expand the care regime typology beyond the average workers’ perspective to offer insight intocare regimes from the perspective of the unemployed. By analysing three separate periods of a child’s life until school age, we trace the shifting policy driven incentives for care as the child grows. Our sample also begins to close the gap in knowledge about family policy in Southeastern Europe. Finally, we present and utilise fuzzy clustering, a method that combines the strengths of traditional clustering and fuzzy set ideal type analysis, while addressing their limitations. Combining eligibility considerations alongside the established dimensions of leave generosity, childcare availability, and gender concentration of rights, we aim to contribute to a growing intersectionality-led policy scholarship that puts the question of who is excluded from policy goals at the heart of the analysis. Our findings examine the class asymmetries in access to leave rights, while also offering a perspective in which class and gender inequalities are not separate axes of (dis)advantage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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

Abstract

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

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Kraats, Coen van de, Titus Galama, Maarten Lindeboom & Zichen Deng (2025): Why Life Gets Better after Age 50, for Some: Mental Well-Being and the Social Norm of Work. In: Journal of labor economics, S. 1-24. DOI:10.1086/737772

Abstract

"We provide evidence that the social norm (expectation) that adults work has a substantial detrimental causal effect on the mental well-being of unemployed men in mid-life, as substantial as, e.g., the detriment of being widowed. As their peers in age retire and the social norm weakens, the mental well-being of the unemployed improves.Using data on individuals aged 50+ from 10 European countries, we identify the social norm of work effect using exogenous variation in the earliest eligibility age for old-age public pensions across countries and birth cohorts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Matysiak, Anna, Wojciech Hardy & Lucas van der Velde (2025): Structural Labour Market Change and Gender Inequality in Earnings. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 2, S. 426-448. DOI:10.1177/09500170241258953

Abstract

"Research from the US argues that women will benefit from a structural labor market change as the importance of social tasks increases and that of manual tasks declines. This article contributes to this discussion in three ways: (a) by extending the standard framework of task content of occupations in order to account for the gender perspective; (b) by developing measures of occupational task content tailored to the European context; and (c) by testing this argument in 13 European countries. Data are analyzed from the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations database and the European Structure of Earnings Survey. The analysis demonstrates that relative to men the structural labor market change improves the earnings potential of women working in low- and middle-skilled occupations but not those in high-skilled occupations. Women are overrepresented in low-paid social tasks (e.g. care) and are paid less for analytical tasks than men." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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

Abstract

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

Zitatform

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

Abstract

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

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Arsenev, Aleksandr, Meryem Gökten, Philipp Heimberger, Andreas Lichtenberger & Bernhard Schütz (2024): Gender and Education Gaps in Employment: New Evidence for the EU. (WIIW working paper 251), Wien, 45 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses (age-adjusted) employment rates by gender and education. We find that male female gender gaps and high-low education gaps in employment vary markedly across European Union (EU) countries and regions, with larger gaps existing in Eastern and Southern Europe than in Nordic and Continental EU countries. We estimate that closing existing education gaps in employment between high and lower education levels would raise the employment rate in the EU for the year 2022 by 10.6 percentage points, whereas closing the gender gaps between men and women would lead to an increase of 2.5 percentage points. At the same time, closing both the gender and education gaps would raise the EU employment rate from 76% to 89% of the population. Furthermore, we provide new evidence on the cyclical behaviour of employment gaps, finding that gender gaps are procyclical. While female employment rates tend to be more resilient than male employment rates during economic downturns, male employment rates tend to grow at a faster pace than female employment rates during upswings. In contrast, education gaps are more countercyclical, as employment risks are more strongly concentrated where education is low." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Barth, Erling, Liza Reisel & Kjersti Misje Østbakken (2024): The Equality Hurdle: Resolving the Welfare State Paradox. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 38, H. 3, S. 766-786. DOI:10.1177/09500170231155293

Abstract

"This article revisits a central tenet of the welfare state paradox, also known as the inclusion-equality trade-off. Using large-scale survey data for 31 European countries and the United States, collected over a recent 15-year period, the article re-investigates the relationship between female labour force participation and gender segregation. Emphasising the transitional role played by the monetisation of domestic tasks, the study identifies a ‘gender equality hurdle’ that countries with the highest levels of female labour force participation have already passed. The results show that occupational gender segregation is currently lower in countries with high female labour force participation, regardless of public sector size. However, the findings also indicate that high relative levels of public spending on health, education and care are particularly conducive to desegregation. Hence, rather than being paradoxical, more equality in participation begets more equality in the labour market, as well as in gendered tasks in society overall." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dinale, Daniel (2024): The positive relationship between female employment and fertility rates: The role of family benefits expenditure and gender-role ideologies. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 404-418. DOI:10.1177/09589287241252008

Abstract

"This article interrogates the impacts of different types of family benefits expenditures on the positive relationship between female employment and fertility rates in developed welfare states. It does this by theorizing how these family benefits align with welfare state regimes’ preferences for different normative gender-role ideologies. Rather than treating family benefits as a monolith, this article investigates the impact of disaggregated expenditures in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) family policy database (1. services and in-kind benefits, 2. child-related cash benefits and 3. tax-based financial support for children) on both female employment and fertility rates. This is done using pooled time-series analysis covering the period 2000–9. The analysis yields evidence that expenditure most reflecting a ‘full egalitarian’ gender ideology including service and in-kind benefit provision has the most positive association with female employment and fertility due to an emphasis on defamiliarization. The picture for child-related cash benefits is mixed due to the presence of cash transfer provisions not employment-contingent captured in the indicator. In contrast, tax-based financial support for children harms female employment, reflecting a maternalistic ‘traditional’ ideological orientation, but is positive for fertility rates indicating a moderate pro-natal effect of tax-based financial support for children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fluchtmann, Jonas, Mark Keese & Willem Adema (2024): Gender equality and economic growth. Past progress and future potential. (OECD social, employment and migration working papers 304), Paris, 45 S. DOI:10.1787/fb0a0a93-en

Abstract

"Despite women’s increased participation in the labor market significantly contributing to past economic growth, persistent gender gaps across OECD labour markets hinder full realization of the potential gains of women’s economic participation. This paper analyses the economic implications of these gaps and evaluates the potential for future growth through greater gender equality in labor market outcomes. Utilising two methodological frameworks, the paper first employs growth accounting to measure the contribution of women's employment to past economic growth. The paper then uses a simplified version of the OECD Long-Term Model in conjunction with projections on future labor force dynamics to estimate the impact of greater gender equality on the labor market. These analyses provide insight into the potentially significant economic benefits of closing persistent gender gaps across OECD countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Frey, Valérie, Jasmin Thomas & Lyydia Alajääskö (2024): Gender gaps in perceptions of social protection: Insights from the OECD Risks that Matter Survey. In: International social security review, Jg. 77, H. 4, S. 23-48. DOI:10.1111/issr.12374

Abstract

"Aufgrund ihres geringeren Verbleibens im Arbeitsmarkt sowie ihres niedrigeren Einkommens verspüren Frauen systematisch eine höhere finanzielle Unsicherheit als Männer in allen Mitgliedsländern der Organisation für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (OECD). Ähnliche Geschlechterungleichheiten treten bei der Wahrnehmung von Sozialschutzsystemen auf: Hier vertrauen Frauen viel weniger als Männer ihrer Fähigkeit hinsichtlich des Zugangs zu Leistungen und Dienstleistungen sowie des Erhalts angemessener Einkommensunterstützung, sofern sie diese benötigen, sowohl im erwerbsfähigen als auch im hohen Alter. Die Ergebnisse der länderübergreifenden OECD-Umfrage „Risks that Matter“ (Risiken, die wichtig sind – RTM) belegen, dass in allen Ländern durchschnittlich etwa die Hälfte der Frauen das Gefühl hat, im Bedarfsfall keinen leichten Zugang zu öffentlichen Leistungen zu bekommen, im Gegensatz zu 43 Prozent der Männer. Diese wahrgenommene Nichtzugänglichkeit ist wahrscheinlich ein Spiegelbild der Geschlechterungleichheiten bei den wahrgenommenen „Kosten durch Ärger “, die mit den Anträgen zu Sozialprogrammen und der Übernahme des Verwaltungsaufwands im Haushalt verbunden sind, sowie auch der niedrigeren Sozialversicherungsbeiträge von Frauen. Dieser Artikel beleuchtet die Geschlechterungleichheiten im Entwurf von Sozialprogrammen und zeigt Möglichkeiten für Regierungen auf, um bei der Verbesserung des Zugangs und der Angemessenheit des Sozialschutzes die Geschlechterfrage besser zu berücksichtigen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons)

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Han, Sinn Won, Ohjae Gowen & Mary C. Brinton (2024): When mothers do it all: gender-role norms, women's employment, and fertility intentions in post-industrial societies. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 40, H. 2, S. 309-325. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcad036

Abstract

"Post-industrial countries with high rates of female labour force participation have generally had low fertility rates, but recent studies demonstrate that this is no longer the case. This has generated increased attention to how greater gender equality in the private sphere of the household may contribute to a positive relationship between women’s employment rates and fertility. Building on recent scholarship demonstrating the multidimensionality of gender-role attitudes, we argue that conversely, the prevalence of a gender-role ideology that supports women’s employment but places greater priority on their role as caregivers may depress the higher-order fertility intentions of working mothers. Using data from 25 European countries, we find that this type of gender-role ideology (egalitarian familism) moderates the relationship between mothers’ full-time employment and their intention to have a second child. This holds even after accounting for key features of the policy environment that are likely to mitigate work–family conflict. The analysis suggests that conflicting normative expectations for women’s work and family roles tend to dampen working mothers’ second-order fertility intentions, independent of work–family reconciliation policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Harris, Jorgen M. & Eleonora Patacchini (2024): Closing the Gender Gap: Promoting Labour Market Participation. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17219), Bonn, 38 S.

Abstract

"In many countries, a significant share of the gender earnings gap stems not only from firm’s practices, or self-selection into lower productivity jobs, but also from a lower participation among women. Inactivity around the age of motherhood is frequent including in the most advanced countries, and can have lasting consequences on the chances to return to the labor market, as well as future earnings and promotions. In this paper, we discuss the major barriers reducing women’s labor force participation and examine the effects of several policies aimed at overcoming those barriers: parental leave, reserved paternal leave, statefunded childcare for young children, extended school hours, and individual taxation. For each, we provide a brief discussion of policy design and effectiveness." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Irmen, Andreas, Rana Cömertpay & Anastasia Litina (2024): Societal Aging and Attitudes towards Women in the Labor Market: Evidence from European Countries. In: Economics Bulletin, Jg. 44, H. 4, S. 1326-1332.

Abstract

"This paper examines the relationship between societal aging and attitudes toward women in the labor market. We hypothesize that, up to a certain point, these attitudes are more favorable as societies grow ”older”. In these societies, people may better recognize that an increase in female labor force participation can help mitigate the challenges that societal aging imposes on the welfare state. To test this hypothesis, we conduct a multilevel analysis of individuals from 25 European OECD countries between 2004 and 2017, using the Old Age Dependency Ratio (OADR) as a proxy for societal aging and gender-related questions from the European Social Survey (ESS). Our findings reveal a hump-shaped relationship between societal aging and attitudes towards women in the labor market. In the early stages of demographic change, particularly in countries with a rising OADR, positive attitudes can be attributed to the recognition that an aging population necessitates a larger working-age population, making women a logical resource for expansion, thus fostering more favorable norms. However, as societal aging progresses further, conservative views associated with older populations begin to dominate, leading to a deterioration in gender norms. in the labor market. In the early stages of demographic change, particularly in countries with a rising OADR, positive attitudes can be attributed to the recognition that an aging population necessitates a larger working-age population, making women a logical resource for expansion, thus fostering more favorable norms. However, as societal aging progresses further, conservative views associated with older populations begin to dominate, leading to a deterioration in gender norms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Jędrzychowska, Anna, Ilona Kwiecień, Ewa Poprawska, Ewa Cichowicz & Ewa Gałecka-Burdziak (2024): How do lifecycle, employment and childcare support contribute to the gender pension gap in Europe? The clustering methods analysis. In: Technological and Economic Development of Economy, Jg. 30, H. 6, S. 1862-1889. DOI:10.3846/tede.2024.21887

Abstract

"Despite ongoing efforts in Europe to tackle discrimination against women in the labor market and societal roles, gender inequality remains entrenched. This study shifts focus from the design of pension systems to explore other key factors impacting women’s careers. By examining life cycle demographics, career paths, and childcare support systems, we utilize clustering to categorize European countries based on factors influencing women’s pension capital accumulation, excluding pension design. Our innovative approach highlights the significance of these factors in the gender pension gap. Findings suggest demographic and social similarities across countries do not necessarily equate to equitable retirement scenarios for women compared to men, underscoring the potential of pension system design to mitigate disparities. Using Ward’s method and the silhouette index for country classification on 10 variables, our analysis reveals distinct differences in gender pension gaps across Southern, Northern, Western, and Eastern Europe. This divergence, alongside observed differences in retirement outcomes for women affected by prior pension regulations, points to increasing challenges for younger European women in achieving pension parity with past generations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, @ 2024 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius GediminasTechnical University) ((en))

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Laschinski, Miriam (2024): Defamilization? Not for everyone. Unequal labor-market participation among informal caregivers in Europe. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 419-436. DOI:10.1177/09589287241251990

Abstract

"Growing care dependencies among the elderly due to population ageing in Europe challenge the labor-market participation of informal caregivers. While familiarized care regimes incentivize family caregiving by providing many cash-for-care-benefits, resulting in reduced labor supply, defamiliarized care regimes allocate more public spending to care infrastructure, alleviating the care responsibilities placed on family members. At the same time, care provision on the micro-level is distributed unequally across gender, age, and socioeconomic status. The question then emerges: Does the labor-market participation of informal caregivers vary between and within countries depending on the social-expenditure policy of welfare states? To answer this research question, a multilevel design was used, employing SHARE data and macro-indicators from OECD and Eurostat databases. The results reveal higher probabilities of labour-market participation for informal caregivers in general when social expenditures on formal care infrastructure are higher. However, labor-market participation was observed as being unequally distributed among the heterogeneous group of persons with and without caregiving duties. Women and individuals of lower socioeconomic status did not benefit from social expenditures in the same way as their counterparts, leading to lower levels of labor-market participation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Leitner, Sandra M. (2024): Working from Home and Mental Well-being in the EU at Different Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Gendered Look at Key Mediators. (WIIW working paper 244), Wien, 44 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses the relationship between working from home (WFH) and mental well-being at different stages during the first two critical years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when governments repeatedly imposed lockdowns and enacted WFH mandates to contain the spread of the virus. Using data from a representative survey conducted at four different time periods in 2020 (first lockdown, subsequent gradual reopening), 2021 (further lockdown) and 2022 (restrictions widely lifted) in the 27 EU member states, it examines the potentially changing role of several mediators over time, such as work-family conflict, family-work conflict, stability, resilience, isolation, the importance of different support networks, workload, physical risk of contracting COVID-19 at work, and housing conditions. For the first lockdown, it also differentiates by previous WFH experience, in terms of WFH novices and experienced WFH workers. It differentiates by gender, in order to take the potential gendered nature and effect of COVID-19 measures into account. The results show that while there was no direct relationship between WFH and mental well-being, there are several important mediators whose relevance was specific not only to certain stages of the pandemic, but also to previous experience with WFH and gender. Stability is the only mediator that was relevant over the entire two-year pandemic period. Work-family conflict and family-work conflict were only relevant during the first lockdown, while resilience and isolation mattered especially when most of the EU economies had lifted most of their restrictions. Unlike established WFH workers, WFH novices had an advantage during the first lockdown, benefiting from lower family-work conflict and more helpful networks of family and friends. Moreover, our results differ by gender for females who undertook WFH, important mediators were work-family conflict and family-work conflict. Both were related to adjustments they had to make in work and non-work" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Martínez-Pastor, Juan-Ignacio, Teresa Jurado-Guerrero, Irina Fernández-Lozano & Cristina Castellanos-Serrano (2024): Caring fathers in Europe: Toward universal caregiver families? In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 31, H. 5, S. 1616-1638. DOI:10.1111/gwao.12948

Abstract

"Increasingly, men are challenging the assumption that care is a feminine task and are involving themselves in childcare and the care of dependent adults. However, this does not necessarily have consequences for their work, as they very rarely make costly adaptations in their working lives. In this study, we propose a definition of a man in care (MIC) as a working father who, in order to meet care needs, has adapted his working life in a way that potentially entails a financial penalty. We analyze the prevalence of men in care among men living with children below the age of 15 across the EU-27 plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK using recent representative data (the European Labour Survey and its 2018 ad hoc module on work-life balance). We find that although the number of men engaging in costly work adaptations is still very low when compared to their female counterparts, the characteristics of these men can be clearly outlined: they have a non-manual occupation (managers excluded), they have temporary contracts or are self-employed, they are partnered to women who hold jobs of 40 or more hours a week and have a high educational attainment, and they work in family-friendly companies. Also, at the context level, the prevalence of MIC is clearly related to gender equality and values. However, we do not find evidence of any country having reached the universal caregiver model proposed by Nancy Fraser, including those with more advanced gender and welfare regimes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Matysiak, Anna, Anna Kurowska & Alina Maria Pavelea (2024): His unemployment, her response, and the moderating role of welfare policies in European countries. Results from a preregistered study. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 19. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0306964

Abstract

"Recent changes in labor markets have increased employment instability. Under these conditions, in male breadwinner families women might increase their labor supply when their male partners become unemployed. Previous studies have extensively investigated the role played by household and individual characteristics in explaining such increases in the labor supply of women. However, studies which examine the moderating role of specific welfare policies are missing. Our study contributes to the literature by investigating the moderating effect of childcare and tax-benefit policies for the labor supply response of women following the unemployment of their partner. We focus on a sample of 24 EU member states and the UK, during the period 2009-2019, combining longitudinal microdata from EU-SILC with country-period specific policy indicators generated with the use of the tax-benefit simulation model EUROMOD, UKMOD and country-period specific indicators of childcare use. We find that women indeed respond to men’sunemployment by increasing their labor supply though the response is fairly weak. We also find the response is not restricted by having children at home or availability of public childcare and does not depend on the generosity of unemployment benefits. It is, however, negatively affected by marginal tax rates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Popova, Daria, Katrin Gasior & Silvia Avram (2024): Outside the box? – Women's individual poverty risk in the EU and the role of labor market characteristics and tax-benefit policies. (ISER working paper series / Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex 2024-02), Colchester, 31 S.

Abstract

"Social policy debates as early as the 1950s have focused on the activation of individuals into employment. This assumes jobs with good work-ing conditions and fair pay; ignores women's reality of part-time work, unpaid care work and the gender pay gap; and has often resulted in the weakening of traditional social protection. We study the individual poverty risk of women under the adult worker paradigm across the EU using the tax-benefit model EUROMOD and EU-SILC data. Comparing the individual poverty risk of working-age women to the benchmark of typical male workers, we highlight heterogeneity driven by women's economic situation and job characteristics and analyze the role of the tax-benefit system in reducing the gap. The analysis shows that only slightly more than one third of women isn't the adult worker model, while this is the case for almost two thirds of men. Inactive and unemployed women are particularly likely to be vulnerable to poverty, but even women with the same characteristics as male reference workers experience a higher poverty risk, highlighting the role of the gender pay gap. Benefits cushion some of the gendered labor market differences but are often not generous enough for unemployed and inactive women or not sufficiently available for self-employed women. Women in atypical employment are furthermore disproportionally affected by taxes and social insurance contributions as they lead to a higher poverty rate, contributing to a larger gap compared to typical male workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Son, Keonhi (2024): Ship of Theseus: from ILO Standards to Outcome of Maternity Protection Policy. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 53, S. 189-217. DOI:10.1017/S0047279422000010

Abstract

"Previous research focuses on the question of whether international standards have prompted any improvement of labor and social standards by law or in practice. This paper complements the literature by showing that the way that international standards are translated and implemented at the national level matters as well. Using a novel historical database on paid maternity leave policies in 160 countries with a time series from 1883 to 2018, I document how informal sector workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) fell by the wayside in the widespread adoption of the International Labour Organization (ILO) maternity protection standards. First, the analysis shows that while the adoption of the ILO Maternity Protection Conventions triggered the introduction and extension of maternity leave policies throughout the world, LMICs ignored the provision of social assistance benefits. Second, even when LMICs extended the coverage of maternity leave policies to the informal sector, the implementation constraints further hindered the access of women workers in the informal sector to maternity benefits." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2024): 2024 report on gender equality in the EU. (... report on gender equality in the EU / European Commission, Justice and Consumers), Luxembourg, 75 S. DOI:10.2838/401813

Abstract

"(...) the 2024 report on gender equality in the EU takes stock of the main initiatives from March 2023 until February 2024 to advance gender equality in the Strategy ’s key areas , namely: - Being free from violence and stereotypes; - Thriving in a gender-equal economy; - Leading equally throughout society; - Gender mainstreaming and funding; and - Promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment across the world. The report focuses on the keyactions and achievements of EU institutions in this area. It also provides encouraging examples of legislative and policy developments by Member States (indicated in the boxes), and work by EU-funded projects in the above areas." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2024): Taxing Wages 2024. Tax and Gender through the Lens of the Second Earner. (Taxing wages / OECD 2024), Paris, 676 S. DOI:10.1787/dbcbac85-en

Abstract

"This annual publication provides details of taxes paid on wages in OECD countries. This year’s edition focuses on fiscal incentives for second earners in the OECD and how tax policy might contribute to gender gaps in labor market outcomes. For the year 2023, the report also examines personal income taxes and social security contributions paid by employees, social security contributions and payroll taxes paid by employers, and cash benefits received by workers. It illustrates how these taxes and benefits are calculated in each member country and examines how they impact household incomes. The results also enable quantitative cross-country comparisons of labor cost levels and the overall tax and benefit position of single persons and families on different levels of earnings. The publication shows average and marginal effective tax rates on labor costs for eight different household types, which vary by income level and household composition (single persons, single parents, one or two earner couples with or without children). The average tax rates measure the part of gross wage earnings or labour costs taken in tax and social security contributions, both before and after cash benefits, and the marginal tax rates the part of a small increase of gross earnings or labour costs that is paid in these levies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Adema, Willem, Jonas Fluchtmann, Alexandre Lloyd & Valentina Patrini (2023): Paid parental leave: Big differences for mothers and fathers. In: OECD Statistics blog, S. 1-13.

Abstract

"Employment-protected paid parental leave is a central element of family policy in most OECD countries. Paid parental leave primarily aims to support parents and children by letting both parents take time off paid work to care for a very young child. This is good for many things, including household finances, child development and parental well-being. Paid leave policies can also promote a better sharing of unpaid work within households by encouraging fathers to use their leave entitlements and get more involved in childcare. Data on availability and use of paid leave entitlements is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of such policies. However, the design of paid leave policy varies markedly across countries, which complicates measuring progress in its use. The OECD Family Database provides an overview of parental leave systems and their use across OECD countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Adriaans, Jule & Matteo Targa (2023): Gender differences in fairness evaluations of own earnings in 28 European countries. In: European Societies, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 107-131. DOI:10.1080/14616696.2022.2083651

Abstract

"Women tend to evaluate their own pay more favorably than men. Contented women are speculated to not seek higher wages, thus the ‘paradox of the contented female worker’ may contribute to persistent gender pay differences. We extend the literature on gender differences in pay evaluations by investigating fairness evaluations of own earnings and underlying conceptions of fair earnings, providing a closer link to potential subsequent wage demands than previous literature. Using European Social Survey (2018/2019) data, we find no evidence that women evaluate their own earnings more favorably than men. In 15 out of the 28 analyzed countries, women actually report more intense levels of perceived unfairness. Studying fair markups on unfair earnings, i.e. the relative distance between the earnings received and earnings considered fair, we find that women report the same, if not lower, fair markups compared to men in most countries; thus indicating limited potential for perceived unfairness as a driving force to reduce the gender pay gap in Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Adsera, Alícia & Federica Querin (2023): The Gender Wage Gap and Parenthood: Occupational Characteristics Across European Countries. In: European Journal of Population, Jg. 39. DOI:10.1007/s10680-023-09681-4

Abstract

"Different strands of research analyse gender occupational differences and how they relate to differential earnings, especially among parents juggling family demands. We use rich data from PIAAC across a subset of European countries and match occupational characteristics to individuals’ jobs using the O*NET database to analyse, first, whether there are gender differences in the occupational characteristics of jobs, particularly among parents, and second, whether the return to key occupational characteristics varies by gender. Compared to men, women’s jobs generally require more contact with others, less autonomy in decision-making, and less time pressure. In addition, positions held by mothers involve both less leadership expectations and less intensive use of machines than those held by fathers. Further, mothers receive a lower return to both of these occupational characteristics than fathers do. Finally, even though gaps in occupational characteristics such as leadership jointly with the differential sorting of mothers and fathers across sectors explain part of the gender wage gap in Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition models, especially in Continental Europe, a large share remains unexplained particularly in Eastern and Southern European countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Andre, Christophe, Orsetta Causa, Emilia Soldani, Douglas Sutherland & Filiz Unsal (2023): Promoting gender equality to strengthen economic growth and resilience. (OECD Economics Department working papers 1776), Paris, 23 S. DOI:10.1787/54090c29-en

Abstract

"Women's employment rates and wages are still lagging those of men across OECD countries, with average employment and wage gaps now around 15% and 12% respectively. Gaps narrowed at a relatively modest pace over the past decade, calling for further policy action. A lack of affordable high-quality childcare is often an obstacle to women's participation in the labor market and notably to working full time. A very unequal sharing of parental leave between parents and challenges upon return to work further hampers women's careers. Biases in the tax system may discourage women from working in some countries. Women face disadvantage in accessing management positions and entrepreneurship. A range of policies can help reduce gender gaps, including better childcare provision, incentivizing parents to better share parental leave, re-skilling and upskilling on return from parental leave, encouraging gender equality within firms, integration programs for foreign-born women, promoting women entrepreneurship and financial inclusion, and levelling taxation for second earners. Moreover, the multiple dimensions and root causes of gender inequality call for mainstreaming gender across policy domains." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Azzollini, Leo, Richard Breen & Brian Nolan (2023): From gender equality to household earnings equality: The role of women’s labour market outcomes across OECD countries. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 86. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2023.100823

Abstract

"We assess the impact that full gender equality in the labour market would have on earnings inequality between households, and then decompose that impact by looking separately at the roles played by gender gaps in employment, hours, and pay. We do this by applying a reweighting method to LIS data for 22 OECD countries, across North America, Europe, and Australia. We find that full equality in earnings and employment between women and men would reduce household earnings inequality considerably, with the most substantial reductions coming from closing the gender gap in employment as opposed to closing the gaps in pay and hours worked. A 10% counterfactual decrease in the gender employment gap (relative to the country baseline) is associated with an average 0.6% decline in the Gini for household earnings inequality. Reducing the gender employment gap is thus the pathway through which greater gender equality may most strongly mitigate overall earnings inequality among households: these two key goals for contemporary societies can be pursued simultaneously." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

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Berloffa, Gabriella, Eleonora Matteazzi, Alina Şandor & Paola Villa (2023): Mothers' and daughters' employment in Europe. A comparative analysis. In: Socio-economic review, Jg. 21, H. 2, S. 767-793. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwac046

Abstract

"This article analyzes the intergenerational correlation of employment between young women (at about 30 years of age) and their mothers (when their daughters were about 14 years old), using 2011 European Union Survey on Income and Living Conditions data. It examines the extent to which this correlation varies across 19 European countries and is associated with the socioeconomic context at the national level. Having grown up with a working mother is associated with a sizeable increase in the daughters’ employment probability in almost all countries, with greater effect for women with children. For this group, the intergenerational correlation is smaller in countries where the policy context is less favorable to maternal employment. It is crucial to promote gender equality, challenging individuals’ gender stereotypes through education and in society at large, and create conditions that allow young women’s preferences for work to be realized, enhancing policies that favor a balanced sharing of unpaid work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bonsang, Eric & Joan Costa-Font (2023): The "Demise of the Caregiving Daughter"? Gender Employment Gaps and the Use of Formal and Informal Care in Europe. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16615), Bonn, 51 S.

Abstract

"We revisit the universality of the "caregiving daughter effect", which holds that daughters tend to provide more care to their older parents than sons. Based on rich European data, we document evidence of such an effect in countries with large gender disparities in employment rates, where having daughters also depresses the demand for formal care. In contrast, we find evidence consistent with the "demise of the caregiving daughter" when exposed to narrower gender gaps, where there is no more daughters' effect on formal care. These results point to a reconsideration of caregiving system design amidst the rise of female employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bratti, Massimiliano (2023): Fertility postponement and labor market outcomes. Postponed childbearing improves women's labor market outcomes but may reduce overall fertility. (IZA world of labor 117), Bonn, 11 S. DOI:10.15185/izawol.117.v2

Abstract

"Die zeitliche Verlagerung der Mutterschaft kann sich für Frauen ökonomisch positiv auswirken, indem sie vor der Geburt ihr Humankapital vergrößern, ihre Erwerbsbeteiligung intensivieren und ihr Einkommen steigern können. Umgekehrt kann dies die Realisierung von (weiteren) Kinderwünschen verhindern. Empirisch lässt sich zeigen, dass eine Verschiebung der Mutterschaft Arbeitsmarktnähe und Lohnniveau deutlich erhöht, zugleich aber weniger Kinder zu haben wahrscheinlicher macht. Hier sollte die Familienpolitik ansetzen: durch öffentliche Kinderbetreuungsangebote, finanzielle Anreize für Firmen, die betriebliche Angebote schaffen, sowie durch Elternzeitprogramme, die die Kinderbetreuungsaufgaben gerechter auf Väter und Mütter verteilen. Facebook Twitter" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Fırat, Mustafa, Mark Visserm & Gerbert Kraaykamp (2023): Work-Family Trajectories Across Europe. Differences Between Social Groups and Welfare Regimes. (SocArXiv papers), 40 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/nghtq

Abstract

"Work and family trajectories develop and interact over the life course in complex ways. However, previous studies drew a fragmented picture of these trajectories and had limited scope. Here, we provide the most comprehensive study of work-family trajectories to date. Using retrospective data from wave 3 and 7 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we reconstructed work-family trajectories from age 15 to 49 among almost 80,000 individuals born between 1908 and 1967 across 28 countries. We applied multichannel sequence and cluster analysis to identify work-family trajectories and multinomial logistic regression models to uncover their social composition. Our results revealed six common trajectories. The dominant trajectory represents the standard path of continuous full-time employment and having a partner with children. Women, the lower educated and persons from conservative welfare regimes are underrepresented in this trajectory, whereas men, higher educated people and those from social-democratic and Eastern European welfare regimes are overrepresented. Other trajectories denote a deviation from the standard path, integrating a non-standard form of work with standard family formation or vice versa. Women who have a partner and children generally work part-time or do not work at all. When in full-time employment, women are more likely to be divorced. Lower educated persons are less likely to be full-time workers with non-standard families, yet more likely to be non-employed with standard family formation. Younger cohorts are underrepresented in non-employment but overrepresented in part-time employment with a partner and children. Individuals from Southern European regimes are more likely to be non-working partnered parents and those from social-democratic regimes are more likely to be full-time employed separated parents. We also found pronounced gender differences in how educational level, birth cohort and welfare regime areassociated withwork-family trajectories. Our findings largely highlight the socially stratified nature of work-family trajectories in Europe. We conclude by discussing the potential implications for later-life inequalities,and make our code producing the trajectory data publicly available to facilitate future research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Giuliani, Giovanni Amerigo (2023): The gender dimension of outsiderness in Western Europe: a comparative cross-model analysis. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 43, H. 13/14, S. 62-78. DOI:10.1108/IJSSP-12-2022-0317

Abstract

"Purpose: The article investigates whether and to what extent outsiderness is gendered in Western Europe, both in terms of its spread and degree. It thus explores which male and female post-Fordist social classes are more exposed to the risk of this phenomenon. It also scrutinizes whether such a gendered characterization has varied over time and across clusters of Western European countries. Design/methodology/approach Relying on a comparative analysis of the data provided by the European Social Survey (ESS) dataset and comparing two points in time –the early/mid-2000s and the late 2010s – the work provides both a dichotomous and continuous variable of outsiderness, which measure its spread and degree in the female and male workforces of a pooled set of growth models. Findings The empirical analysis shows that outsiderness is profoundly gendered in Western Europe and thus a feminized social phenomenon. However, the comparative investigation highlights that outsiderness has been genderized in diverse ways across the four growth models. Different patterns of gendered outsiderness can be identified. Originality/value The article provides a comparative and diachronic analysis of outsiderness from a gender lens, putting into a mutual dialogue different literature on labour market, and shows that outsiderness represents a key analytical dimension for assessing gender inequalities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Köppl-Turyna, Monika & Nikolaus Graf (2023): Kinderbetreuung und Vereinbarkeit im internationalen Vergleich: Update des EcoAustria Scoreboard-Indikators. (Policy note / EcoAustria - Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung 54), Wien, 21 S.

Abstract

"Die Verfügbarkeit qualitativ hochwertiger, örtlich erreichbarer, zeitlich flexibler Kinderbetreuung stellt eine Grundvoraussetzung der Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie dar. Österreich weist eine überdurchschnittliche Erwerbsbeteiligung von Müttern auf, zugleich findet diese Erwerbsbeteiligung sehr häufig in Form von Teilzeitbeschäftigung statt. Teilzeitbeschäftigung stellt wieder mit, eine Ursache für geschlechtsspezifische Ungleichheiten am Arbeitsmarkt dar. Institutionelle Kinderbetreuung kann die Arbeitsmarktteilnahme von Müttern befördern und zu einer Ausweitung der Arbeitszeit führen. Zugleich gehen von Kinderbetreuung positive Effekte auf die Bildungsergebnisse und auf die schulische Integration bildungsbenachteiligter Kinder aus. In Anbetracht der aktuellen Arbeitskräfteknappheit kann eine Ausweitung der Erwerbsintegration von Müttern eine Option darstellen, die Nachfrage nach Arbeitskräften zu decken. Kurzum: Von Kinderbetreuung gehen viele positive, gesellschaftlich und politisch erwünschte Effekte aus. Dennoch: Trotz der in der jüngeren Vergangenheit erzielten Fortschritte sind etwa bei der Betreuung von Kleinkindern unter drei Jahren und im Hinblick auf verlängerte flexible Öffnungszeiten am Tagesrand sowie Schließtage während den Ferien Aufholpotenziale insbesondere in ländlichen Regionen gegeben. [...]" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Lee, Cheol-Sung & Taekyeong Goh (2023): Union brokerage and the gender gap in the labor market. A cross-national comparative study of associational networks and gendered labor force participation in OECD countries. In: International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Jg. 64, H. 1, S. 22-56. DOI:10.1177/00207152221108139

Abstract

"This article explores the role of union-centered brokerage in promoting women’s labor force participation in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries for the last three decades. Using two measures of brokerage, a union’s core brokerage role, and its general brokerage role, we attempted to capture the processes by which union activists mobilize and extend women’s rights in associational fields. Then, we tested our key argument that union-centered brokerage plays the most effective role among the different brokerage types in channeling women’s interests by transforming them into wider class-linked or cross-class concerns. Cross-national and comparative case studies demonstrate that union-led brokerage promotes greater presence of women in the economy. Our findings revealed that, when controlling for economic, regional, and cultural factors, both types of brokerage roles impact women’s participation in the labor market and their participation compared to that of men. The overall findings underscore the importance of creating and utilizing solidarity structures through effective channeling mechanisms in civic associational fields between labor-based organizations and other reform-oriented civic groups in achieving egalitarian socioeconomic goals." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lütolf, Meret & Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen (2023): Do households live the family model they prefer? Household's work patterns across European policy regimes. In: Socio-economic review, Jg. 21, H. 3, S. 1421-1443. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwac023

Abstract

"Studies have investigated the equalizing effect of childcare provision and parental leave schemes on gendered work patterns. However, as the relationship between policies and individual time allocations to paid work is complex and challenging to empirically assess, previous research has clarified single aspects of this complexity. The present study theoretically and empirically combines a household perspective by considering the work behaviors of two partners within one household (i.e. a household's lived family model) with a comparative approach to systematically analyze relationships between specific policy designs and households' paid work patterns in a large sample. The findings imply that extensive childcare policies are systematically related to an egalitarian household organization, mostly among those with small children. This association can be observed across households with varying levels of egalitarian norms. Conversely, the findings suggest that the current design of parental leave policies in the 21 European countries does not allow for a true assessment of the potential of leave schemes to influence the within-household division of labor." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Picatoste, Xose, Anabela Mesquita & Fernando González-Laxe (2023): Gender wage gap, quality of earnings and gender digital divide in the European context. In: Empirica, Jg. 50, H. 2, S. 301-321. DOI:10.1007/s10663-022-09555-8

Abstract

"One of the leading national and international objectives is to achieve more egalitarian societies. Avoiding gender or digital gaps are priorities generally assumed as concerns of governments and international organizations. This paper evaluates the digital gender divide in its three stages: access, use and results, relating it to gender and salary gaps in the context of the European Union. Cluster analysis was conducted to classify the countries according to their gender digital divide. The influence of age and studies level of males and females was revised. Based on the OECD and EUROSTAT data, an empirical analysis was conducted. By comparison of means, the significant variables influencing the gender digital divide were identified, probing that the educational level significantly influences it, especially in what refers to the third stage. Finally, through a regression analysis, it was proved that the influence of the insecurity and the gender wage gap goes beyond the women and affects society." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Scherer, Stefani & Emmanuele Pavolini (2023): Equalizing or not? Public childcare and women's labour market participation. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 33, H. 4, S. 436-450. DOI:10.1177/09589287231183169

Abstract

"Within the scientific literature and debate on social investment, public childcare provision plays a pivotal role. At the same time, critics have argued that social investment is often unable to reduce social inequalities and, to the contrary, tends to reproduce them (the so-called ‘Matthew effect’). The article focuses on a specific facet of social investment policies: their capacity to support mothers’ employment and its effect on social inequality, by investigating empirically to what extent an expansion of public childcare can help to increase women’s labour market participation and how this eventual support is homogenously distributed among different mothers’ profiles. To give a convincing answer to such a question requires careful attention to methodology, in order to avoid drawing the wrong conclusions. Whereas existing research has predominately focused on cross-national variation and has often been static in nature, the present study assesses the effects of public childcare expansion on women’s labour market participation and employment by examining region-specific within-variation over time of public childcare coverage. The study relies on data from the European Social Survey (2002–2018) that were integrated with an original collection of regional-level information on public childcare. It finds a positive association between increases in public childcare coverage and mothers’ labour market participation. Furthermore, it shows that public childcare helps to fight social inequalities among households with young children. Low-educated mothers are the ones who profit most from an increase in public childcare, and positive employment effects are most pronounced at lower levels of childcare coverage. Therefore, this contribution highlights the importance of public childcare policies as an equalizer in society, especially in contexts in which an intervention is most needed, because expanding childcare fosters mothers’ labour market participation" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Seo, Hyojin (2023): Gendered labour market patterns across Europe: Does family policy mitigate feminization of outsiders? In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 33, H. 1, S. 3-16. DOI:10.1177/09589287221148916

Abstract

"Studies have shown positive impact of family policies on women’s labour market participation over the last decades. How, then, does it influence the types of jobs women obtain when they (re-)enter the labour market? Using multi-level modelling, this study examines how different work–family balance policies (that is, leave policies, childcare services) shape gendered labour market patterns and whether or not it mitigates women’s overrepresentation among the labour market Outsiders across Europe. I use European Working Conditions Survey 2015 data and cover 30 European countries. Specifically focusing on women’s relative likelihood of being labour market Outsiders compared to men, I find that certain policies help women avoid being Outsiders, while the others may reinforce the existing gender inequality in the labour market. This resonates with the welfare state paradox and family policy trade-off literature that the policies that do not disrupt the gender norms may in turn maintain or enhance them." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zacchia, Giulia & Izaskun Zuazu (2023): The Wage Effect of Workplace Sexual Harassment: Evidence for Women in Europe. (Working papers / Institute for New Economic Thinking 205), Institute for New Economic Thinking 27 S. DOI:10.36687/inetwp205

Abstract

"This article contributes to the literature on wage discrimination by examining the consequences of sexual harassment in the workplace on wages for women in Europe. We model the empirical relationship between sexual harassment risk and wages for European women employees using individual-level data provided by the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS, Eurostat). We find that sexual harassment risk has a negative and statistically significant effect on wages of -0.03% on average for women in Europe. However, our empirical analysis uncovers the importance of considering the dynamics of workplace power relations: analyzing individual-level data, we find evidence of a higher negative impact of sexual harassment risk on wages for women working in counter-stereotypical occupations. We conclude that the wage effect of hostile working conditions, mainly in terms of sexual harassment risk in the workplace, should be considered and monitored as a first critical step in making women be less vulnerable at work and increasing their bargaining power, thereby reducing inequalities in working conditions and pay in Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2023): Reporting Gender Pay Gaps in OECD Countries. Guidance for Pay Transparency Implementation, Monitoring and Reform. (Gender Equality at Work), Paris, 203 S. DOI:10.1787/ea13aa68-en

Abstract

"Pay transparency policies are gaining momentum throughout the OECD. Over half of OECD countries require private sector firms to report their gender pay gap statistics regularly to stakeholders like employees, employee representatives, the government, and/or the public. Gender pay gap reporting, equal pay audits and other pay transparency policies help advance gender equality at the workplace, as these measures present up-to-date information on a firm’s gender pay gap, encourage employers to offer equal pay for work of equal value, and give individual workers and their representatives valuable insights to fight for pay equity. This report presents the most thorough stocktaking to date of gender pay gap reporting policies and evaluations across OECD countries, and offers guidance to countries interested in introducing, reforming and monitoring their pay transparency systems to promote equal pay for women and men." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2023): International Migration Outlook 2023. (International migration outlook 47), Paris, 403 S. DOI:10.1787/b0f40584-en

Abstract

"The 2023 edition of International Migration Outlook analyses recent developments in migration movements and the labour market inclusion of immigrants in OECD countries. It also monitors recent policy changes in migration governance and integration in OECD countries. This edition includes two special chapters on the labour market integration of migrant mothers and on fertility patterns among migrant populations in OECD countries. The Outlook also includes country notes and a detailed statistical annex." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2023): Quarterly Review of Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) - April 2023. (Employment and social developments in Europe : Quarterly review), Luxembourg, 25 S.

Abstract

"The thematic part of this review focuses on gender segregation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and healthcare occupations across EU Member States. This is an important topic in the context of the upcoming European Year of Skills, because gender segregation can both limit the efficiency of matching labour supply with demand and results in suboptimal use of women’s and men’s talents. The thematic focus shows that both STEM and healthcare occupations are heavily gender segregated in nearly all Member States. It highlights that in many countries, much of the existing segregation is explained by the fact that female and male workers tend to hold qualifications in different study fields – this applies particularly in the case of STEM occupations. Finally, it demonstrates that in most Member States, desegregation offers an important opportunity to attract new workers into STEM and healthcare occupations facing shortages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Alcidi, Cinzia & Alexandre Ounnas (2022): Can the Pay Transparency Directive close the gender pay gap? (CEPS policy insights 2022-06), Brussels, 10 S.

Abstract

"Today, our thoughts go out to all women who have had to flee Ukraine to escape horror and to save their children, and to all those women who have remained behind to help defend their homeland. To those men and women who have the chance to live in (still) peaceful EU countries, we want to recall that gender equality remains a top priority. In the EU, major progress has been made in advancing women’s rights over the past 25 years but challenges still remain, especially on the labour market. The gender pay gap is definitely not yet closed. Despite progress over the past few years, women in the EU are still paid less than men for equal work of equal value. In 2018, the gap was on average 14 %, and it is likely to have increased during the pandemic. In 2019, President von der Leyen put gender equality among the six priorities of her new Commission. In March 2021 the Commission published a proposal for a Directive to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms. Is pay transparency important to close the gender pay gap? The short answer is yes. Over time women have been closing gaps relative to men in education, labour market participation, and attitude; areas which typically (used to) explain the gap. Yet pay differences persist. New research points to within-company dynamics as one of the most significant contributors to the pay gap. The directive proposes to address it through transparency and information sharing. This is expected to reduce the gender pay gap, even though the implementation, and in particular the operationalisation of the concept of equal work, will pose challenges to companies, and eventually can negatively weigh on the overall benefits." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bartova, Alzbeta, Adeline Otto & Wim Van Lancker (2022): Making Parental Leave Policies Work for Single Mothers: Lessons from Europe. In: The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Jg. 702, H. 1, S. 129-148. DOI:10.1177/00027162221134445

Abstract

"It is well documented that national parental leave policies encourage parents’ employment. Research on parental leave, though, has generally failed to draw lessons on how leave policy affects the employment and economic well-being of single parents. We examine the extent to which parental leave policies support the employment of single mothers with children under six years old across twenty-seven European countries, showing that single mothers are more likely to work and to work longer hours if they are eligible for parental leave. For single mothers who were not working before childbirth, eligibility for generous leave benefits and longer parental leave are associated with better employment outcomes after childbirth. We argue that while parental leave sustains employment for working single mothers, it might also facilitate entry into employment for nonworking mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bohmann, Sandra & Stefan Liebig (2022): Knapp ein Drittel der EuropäerInnen zweifelt an Chancengerechtigkeit auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. In: DIW-Wochenbericht, Jg. 89, H. 7, S. 97-106. DOI:10.18723/diw_wb:2022-7-3

Abstract

"Chancengerechtigkeit ist ein zentraler Bestandteil unserer Erwartungen an eine demokratische Gesellschaft. Dies gilt auch für den Arbeitsmarkt: Dieser Wochenbericht untersucht anhand von Befragungsdaten des European Social Survey 2018 (ESS), wie die europäischen Bürgerinnen und Bürger ihre Chancen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt ihrer Heimatländer einschätzen und welche Faktoren auf gesellschaftlicher und individueller Ebene dabei eine Rolle spielen. Etwa ein Drittel der Befragten ist skeptisch, was die allgemeine Chancengerechtigkeit auf dem Arbeitsmarkt in ihrem Land betrifft. Die eigenen Chancen schätzt immerhin die Hälfte der Befragten als gerecht ein. Sowohl die allgemeinen als auch die eigenen Chancen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt werden im Norden Europas etwas positiver bewertet als im Süden. Ohnehin benachteiligte Gruppen beurteilen auch ihre Arbeitsmarktchancen weniger positiv. Insgesamt zeigt sich ein klarer Zusammenhang zwischen der wahrgenommenen Changengerechtigkeit und der Zufriedenheit mit der Demokratie im eigenen Land." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Canaan, Serena, Anne Sophie Lassen, Philip Rosenbaum & Herdis Steingrimsdottir (2022): Maternity Leave and Paternity Leave: Evidence on the Economic Impact of Legislative Chances in High Income Countries. (IZA discussion paper 15129), Bonn, 48 S.

Abstract

"Labor market policies for expecting and new mothers emerged at the turn of the nineteenth century. The main motivation for these policies was to ensure the health of mothers and their newborn children. With increased female labor market participation, the focus has gradually shifted to the effects that parental leave policies have on women's labor market outcomes and gender equality. Proponents of extending parental leave rights for mothers in terms of duration, benefits, and job protection have argued that this will support mothers' labor market attachment and allow them to take time off from work after childbirth and then safely return to their pre-birth job. Others have pointed out that extended maternity leave can work as a double-edged sword for mothers: If young women are likely to spend months, or even years, on leave, employers are likely to take that into consideration when hiring and promoting their employees. These policies may therefore end up adversely affecting women's labor market outcomes. This has led to an increased focus on activating fathers to take parental leave, and in 2019, the European Parliament approved a directive requiring member states to ensure at least two months of earmarked paternity leave. The literature on parental leave has proliferated over the last couple of decades. The increased number of studies on the topic has brought forth some consistent findings. First, the introduction of short maternity leave is found to be beneficial for both maternal and child health and for mothers' labor market outcomes. Second, there appear to be negligible benefits from a leave extending beyond six months in terms of health out-comes and children's long-run outcomes. Furthermore, longer leaves have little, or even adverse, influence on mothers' labor market outcomes. However, some evidence suggests that there may be underlying heterogeneous effects from extended leaves among different socioeconomic groups. The literature on the effect of earmark" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ceballos, Martha, Annick Masselot & Richard Watt (2022): Pay Transparency across Countries and Legal Systems. In: CESifo forum, Jg. 23, H. 2, S. 3-11.

Abstract

"The article proceeds as follows. In the next section, we detail the legislative experiences of the different countries that are included in our data set. The third section employs latent class analysis to group the different countries in our data set according to their gender pay gap and their pay transparency legislation. The fourth section posits a new perspective on the gender pay gap of non-legislating countries that leads to a theory (and indeed a value, at least for the countries in our data set) of a “natural rate” of the gender pay gap and a useful separation between countries with pay transparency legislation in place – those that out-perform the benchmark of not legislating, and those that under-perform relative to that same benchmark. Together with our latent class analysis groupings, this allows us to draw conclusions regarding the types of pay transparency law that appear to be more successful in the endeavor of reducing the gender pay gap. Finally, the fifth section concludes." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Costantini, Anastasia & Alessia Sebillo (2022): Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in Social Economy Enterprises: Enablers and Barriers. (Working paper / CIRIEC 2022,02), Liège, 34 S.

Abstract

"Women remain underrepresented in the labour market. In the EU, they earn 14,1% less than men, and they still experience barriers to access and remain at the labour market (Eurostat, 2021a). Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the gender dimension of social and economic inequalities, producing a severe gender impact and the risk of economic marginalisation of women. Why do we expect the social and solidarity economy to improve gender equality at work? Therefore, the paper will discuss the potential and limits of the SEEs in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. The analysis has referenced existing literature and available information on the sector, including interviews with experts and illustrative cases within Diesis Network2, one of the broadest European networks supporting the social economy and social enterprise development. The aim is to show impactful solutions of SEEs and bring social and solidarity economy closer to the gender perspective to increase their impact in supporting inclusive and sustainable growth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Korsgren, Pontus & Max van Lent (2022): Earmarked Paternity Leave and Well-Being. (IZA discussion paper 15022), Bonn, 24 S.

Abstract

"Earmarked paternity leave has been introduced in an attempt to increase fathers' involvement in child rearing and to achieve gender equality in the labor market and at home. So far well-being effects of such policies are unexplored. This paper takes a first step in that direction by studying the impact of earmarked paternity leave quota on life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and work-life balance using several policy changes in Europe over the period 1993-2007. We find that earmarked paternity leave increases life satisfaction by 0.18 on a 10 point scale which is equivalent to a 10.8 percentage point increase even decades later. Both fathers and mothers benefit, though the increase in life satisfaction for mothers is nearly 30% higher than that of fathers. Perhaps surprisingly, the impact on job satisfaction and work-life balance is close to zero. Hence even when the impact of paternity leave quota on the labor market are small, the increases in life satisfaction may still justify the existence of such policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Matysiak, Anna, Daniela Bellani & Honorata Bogusz (2022): Industrial robots and fertility in European countries. (Working papers / Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw 2022-26), Warsaw, 65 S.

Abstract

"In this study we examine whether the long-term structural changes in the labour market, driven by automation, affect fertility. Adoption of industrial robots in the EU has tripled since the mid-1990s, tremendously changing the conditions of participating in the labour market. On the one hand, new jobs are created, benefitting largely the highly skilled workers. On the other hand, the growing turnover in the labour market and changing content of jobs induce fears of job displacement and make workers continuously adjust to new requirements (reskill, upskill, increase work efforts). The consequences of these changes are particularly strong for the employment and earning prospects of the low and middle educated workers. Our focus is on six European countries: Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom. We link regional data on fertility and employment structures by industry from Eurostat (NUTS-2) with data on robot adoption from the International Federation of Robotics. We estimate fixed effects linear models with instrumental variables in order to account for the external shocks which may affect fertility and robot adoption in parallel. Our findings suggest robots tend to exert a negative impact on fertility in highly industrialised regions, regions with relatively low educated populations and those which are technologically less advanced. At the same time, better educated and prospering regions may even experience fertility improvements as a result of the technological change. The family and labour market institutions of the country may further moderate these effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Miller, Conrad, Jennifer Peck & Mehmet Seflek (2022): Integration Costs and Missing Women in Firms around the World. In: AEA papers and proceedings, Jg. 112, S. 578-582. DOI:10.1257/pandp.20221084

Abstract

"Where social norms favor gender segregation, firms may find it costly to employ both men and women. If the costs of integration are largely fixed, firms will integrate only if their expected number of female employees under integration exceeds some threshold. We use the distribution of female employment to estimate the share of firms with binding integration costs. Using global survey data, we find evidence for these binding integration costs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and South Asia but not in other regions. We also show that the intensity of gender segregation preferences is correlated with these integration costs in the MENA region." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nieuwenhuis, Rense (2022): No activation without reconciliation? The interplay between ALMP and ECEC in relation to women employment unemployment and inactivity in 30 OECD countries 1985-2018. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2022,04), Uppsala, 36 S.

Abstract

"Comparative welfare state research has mostly examined the outcomes of active labour market policies and work-family reconciliation policies separately. As a result, potential complementarities between these policy areas have received scant attention empirically. Using macro-level data, this study answers the question to what extent, and in which way, governments' efforts in active labour market policies (ALMP) and in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are correlated with women's employment rates, women's unemployment and inactivity rates in 30 OECD countries from 1985 to 2018. The article theorizes about how the various policies that constitute a welfare state relate to each other, distinguishing between pluralism, complementarity and substitutability. I interpret the empirical findings as being consistent with welfare pluralism, in the sense that ALMP and ECEC policies work together in improving women's employment rates in slightly different ways: ALMP is associated with low female unemployment rates, whereas ECEC also is associated with lower inactivity rates for women. There was, however, more support for the notion of substitution rather than complementarity: the marginal benefits associated with an increase in either ALMP or ECEC were smaller in the context of large investments in the other policy. In other words, the highest rates of women's employment, and the lowest rates of unemployment and inactivity, are found in countries with large investments in both ALMP and ECEC, but such higher investments are associated with diminishing returns." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nieuwenhuis, Rense (2022): No activation without reconciliation? The interplay between ALMP and ECEC in relation to women employment unemployment and inactivity in 30 OECD countries 1985-2018. In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 56, H. 5, S. 808-826. DOI:10.1111/spol.12806

Abstract

"Comparative welfare state research as examined the outcomes of active labour market policies (ALMP) and work-family reconciliation policies by and large been separately. As a result, potential complementarities between these policy areas have received scant attention empirically. Using macro-level data, this study answers the question to what extent, and in which way, governments' efforts in ALMP and in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are complementary to each other in promoting women's employment rates and reducing women's unemployment and inactivity rates in 30 OECD countries from 1985 to 2018. The article theorises about how the various policies that constitute a welfare state relate to each other, distinguishing between pluralism, complementarity and substitutability. These findings provide support for the notion of welfare pluralism, in the sense that ALMP and ECEC policies work together in improving women's employment rates in slightly different ways: ALMP achieve this through reducing women's unemployment rates, whereas ECEC also achieve lower inactivity rates for women. There was, however, more support for the notion of substitution rather than complementarity: the marginal benefits associated with an increase in either ALMP or ECEC were smaller in the context of large investments in the other policy. In other words, the highest rates of women's employment, and the lowest rates of unemployment and inactivity, are found in countries with large investments in both ALMP and ECEC, but such higher investments are associated with diminishing returns." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Palencia-Esteban, Amaia (2022): Occupational segregation of female and male immigrants in Europe: Accounting for cross-country differences. In: International Labour Review, Jg. 161, H. 3, S. 341-373. DOI:10.1111/ilr.12207

Abstract

"This article studies occupational segregation in Europe by gender and immigration status using the European Labour Force Survey for 2005–19. Unlike previous studies, it quantifies levels of segregation separately for female and male immigrants in each country. Overall, male immigrants experience lower occupational segregation than their female counterparts and the second generation is less segregated than the first. Segregation is generally lower in North-Western Europe and higher in the South-East. A counterfactual analysis reveals that immigrants' characteristics explain a small part of these cross-country differences. Institutional setting, integration policies and country-specific norms might play a major role." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Rebollo-Sanz, Yolanda F. & Sara De La Rica (2022): Gender gaps in skills and labor market outcomes: evidence from the PIAAC. In: Review of Economics of the Household, Jg. 20, H. 2, S. 333-371. DOI:10.1007/s11150-020-09523-w

Abstract

"Our paper makes the first attempt to address the empirical relationRicship between cognitive skills and gender gaps in labor market performance. We do so in a cross-country setting. To that end we use the PIAAC dataset, which contains information on OECD and non-OECD economies. Firstly, we document the existence of gender gaps in cognitive skills for numeracy, which are found to be around 2.5–4.6% and increase with age. These gaps remain even when comparing men and women within the same level and field of study. Next, we document sizable gender gaps in labor market outcomes, such as Labor Force Participation and hourly wages—around 18%, increase with age and rise remarkably for parents. Math skills are positively and strongly associated with these two labor market outcomes and its contribution to explain gender gaps, although significant, is limited—between 10 15% at most—in particular for parents." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Rendall, Michelle (2022): The Link between Gender Gaps and Employment Polarization. In: CESifo forum, Jg. 23, H. 2, S. 12-16.

Abstract

"The increase in employment shares both at the bottom and at the top of the skill distribution, combined with a decline in the middle, has been extensively documented for the US and many OECD economies since the 1980s. This observed employment polarization has become a well-known stylized fact. Less well known are the characteristics of employment polarization by gender, as polarization is usually studied at an aggregate level. Nonetheless, when studying employment polarization, in Cerina et al. (2021) we also consider one of the most important and dramatic social phenomena of the 20th century: the rise in female labor force participation, coupled with a rise in broad college attainment and a closing of the gender wage gap." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Silverberg, Laurie, Jutta Allmendinger, Michelle Boden, Frederic Jage-Bowler & Johanna Schleyer (Hrsg.) (2022): Gender Equality Advisory Council Report 2022: A shared vision for gender equality. Berlin, 108 S.

Abstract

"The 2022 GEAC Report describes the development of the G7 on the path to gender equality. Through both essays and data, it offers a clear picture of gender equality within the G7, highlights success stories, identifies areas for improvement, and provides evidence-based recommendations to the leaders of the G7. The first half of the report focuses on seven areas of action identified by the GEAC 2022; the second half offers a milestone in the work of the GEAC: the first-ever publication of the G7 Dashboard on Gender Gaps. This yearʼs GEAC focused on seven themes: Funding; Ownership, Entrepreneurship, and Investment; The Care Economy; Feminist Diplomacy; Gender-based Violence; Gender and Crisis; and Intersectional Policy. Each of these themes is presented with a dedicated essay that includes data and best-practice models and concludes with a series of recommendations to the G7 leaders. Four of these themes are further elucidated in a more accessible comic-strip format." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2022): Global Gender Gap Report 2022. Insight Report. (The global gender gap report 15), Genf, 373 S.

Abstract

"Gender parity is not recovering, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022. It will take another 132 years to close the global gender gap. As crises are compounding, women's workforce outcomes are suffering and the risk of global gender parity backsliding further intensifies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"Although men and women are typically taxed under the same rules, their different social and economic characteristics (e.g. income levels or labour force participation) mean that the tax system can inadvertently contribute to gender inequalities in society. Understanding and improving the impact of taxes on gender equality is a key dimension that governments need to consider as part of tax design to support inclusive growth. This report provides the first cross-country overview of governments' approaches to tax policy and gender, including reforms undertaken to date and potential areas of explicit and implicit gender bias. Covering 43 countries, it also explores the extent to which governments take into account gender implications in policy development, gender considerations in tax administration and compliance, and the availability and use of gender-disaggregated data. Finally, it also discusses priorities for further work on tax policy and gender issues." (Author's abstract, © 2022 OECD) ((en))

Abstract

"Unpaid care duties are key to gender gaps in the labor market. As illustrated in the report, across the Member States, care responsibilities are equally shared between women and men only in about one-third of families. The interplay between labour market and household conditions may create vicious cycles. The unequal division of unpaid care work between men and women reduces women’s access to and permanency in the labor market, and leads to a concentration of women in sectors and jobs allowing greater working time flexibility at the price of lower wages and career opportunities. Gender gaps in the labor market themselves reinforce the unequal division of unpaid care work in households. Work-life balance policies are therefore key for supporting women’s labor market participation and employment and achieving gender equality in the labour market. Although cultural and social norms on the gender division of unpaid work in the household are still relevant, the availability, affordability and quality of childcare and long-term care services, eligibility criteria, length and compensation level of parental, paternity and carers leaves, and flexible working arrangements all play an important role in promoting equal sharing of care tasks in the household enabling full and equal labor market participation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Amate-Fortes, Ignacio, Almudena Guarnido-Rueda, Diego Martínez-Navarro & Francisco J. Oliver-Márquez (2021): Measuring inequality in income distribution between men and women: what causes gender inequality in Europe? In: Quality & quantity, Jg. 55, H. 2, S. 395-418. DOI:10.1007/s11135-020-01009-2

Abstract

"Two objectives have been raised in this paper. On the one hand, an index has been elaborated that tries to measure the inequality of the income distribution between men and women. Secondly, the factors that determine this inequality have been analyzed, paying special attention to the role of the public sector through social expenditure policy. To this end, a panel data has been estimated for 33 European countries over a period of 15 years. The results show that income inequality and gender inequality are closely linked, and that social spending in general and health spending in particular improve income distribution equity between men and women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Bacheron, Johanne (2021): The impact of paternity leave on mothers' employment in Europe. (AMSE working paper 2021,10 halshs-03145794), Paris, 48 S.

Abstract

"In this paper, I use a pseudo-panel approach with data from the European Union Labour Force Survey to study the impact of paternity leave policies on mothers' employment in ten countries. Using a dynamic Difference-in-Difference strategy, I show that paternity leave increased mothers' employment rate by up to 17% in the long run, and average hours worked by 2 to 4%. There is substantial heterogeneity across countries in the effect of paternity leave policies. The impact on employment rates is positive and significant in eight of the ten countries of the sample, while the impact on hours worked can be either positive or negative. I find no evidence that the reforms had any impact on Greece or Portugal." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Baerlocher, Diogo, Stephen L. Parente & Eduardo L. G. Rios-Neto (2021): Female Labor Force Participation and economic growth. Accounting for the gender bonus. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 200. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2021.109740

Abstract

"Borrowing from the demographic dividend literature, this paper examines whether there is a gender bonus, namely an increase in the average living standard associated with increases in female labor force participation (FLFP) rates. Translating a per worker production function into a per capita one, it derives a linear dynamic model, the coefficient of which can be used to test for the existence of a gender bonus, and the reasons for this bonus. Using an international panel and applying a system GMM approach, it finds a positive and statistically significant effect of the growth of FLFP on economic growth and a positive but not statistically different from zero effect of the initial FLFP on economic growth. Importantly, we cannot reject the hypothesis that either of these effects is merely an accounting effect, namely a consequence of having more workers in the economy and more aggregate output. It finds no support for a secondary bonus through education or population growth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2021 Elsevier) ((en))

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Baranowska-Rataj, Anna & Mattias Strandh (2021): When things go wrong with you, it hurts me too: The effects of partner's employment status on health in comparative perspective. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 31, H. 2, S. 143-160. DOI:10.1177/0958928720963330

Abstract

"The effects of changes in employment status on health within couples have attracted increasing attention. This paper contributes to this emerging research by investigating whether the impact of a partner’s employment status on individual self-rated health varies systematically across countries with varying decommodification levels. We use longitudinal data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) and hybrid models. We find that a change in an individual’s employment status may affect the health not just of the person who experiences this transition, but that of his or her partner. The likelihood that such a spillover will occur varies across countries with different decommodification levels. The negative effects of a partner’s employment status on self-rated health are observed when the generosity of welfare state support is limited. The moderating effects of financial support from the state are not very strong, though. They are not robust across all our models and do not extend to all the dimensions of the generosity of welfare state support." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Berniell, Maria Ines, Lucila Berniell, Dolores De la Mata, María Edo, Yarine Fawaz, Matilde P. Machado & Mariana Marchionni (2021): Motherhood and the Allocation of Talent. (IZA discussion paper 14491), Bonn, 40 S.

Abstract

"In this paper we show that motherhood triggers changes in the allocation of talent in the labor market besides the well-known effects on gender gaps in employment and earnings. We use an event study approach with retrospective data for 29 countries drawn from SHARE to assess the labor market responses to motherhood across groups with different educational attainment, math ability by the age of 10, and personality traits. We find that while even the most talented women— both in absolute terms and relative to their husbands—leave the labor market or uptake part-time jobs after the birth of the first child, all men, including the least talented, stay employed. We also find that motherhood induces a negative selection of talents into self-employment. Overall, our results suggest relevant changes in the allocation of talent caused by gender differences in nonmarket responsibilities that can have sizable impacts on aggregate market productivity. We also show that the size of labor market responses to motherhood are larger in societies with more conservative social-norms or with weaker policies regarding work-life balance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chica-Olmoa, Jorge & Marina Checa-Olivas (2021): Spatial impact of factors influencing the achievement of the Europa2020 employment targets. In: Papers in Regional Science, Jg. 100, H. 3, S. 633-649. DOI:10.1111/pirs.12592

Abstract

"In this paper, autologistic models are used to examine the impact of certain factors on the likelihood of European regions’ ability to meet the employment target for both men and women for the year 2017 in 270 EU regions at NUTS 2 level. The results show the role of both regional and gender differences in forming spatial clusters, as well as the presence of spatial interaction in achievement of the target. Moreover, meeting the European strategy's education target and increasing a region’s GDP levels also have a positive impact on achieving the targets. These findings may be of interest for the implementation of socio‐economic policies at a regional level, aimed at raising the employment rate for men and women in European regions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Chu, Yu-Wei Luke, Harold E. Cuffe & Nguyen Doan (2021): Motherhood Employment Penalty and Gender Wage Gap Across Countries: 1990-2010. (SEF working paper 9446), Wellington, 41 S.

Abstract

"In this paper, we employ twin birth as an instrument to estimate the effects of fertility on female employment using 72 censuses from 37 countries in 1990–2010. Next, we document a strong linear association between gender wage gap and the estimated motherhood employment penalty both across countries and within countries. Reductions in the gender wage gap are associated with decreases in motherhood employment penalty. Our estimates suggest that a reduction of one percentage-point in the gender wage gap is associated with a decrease of 0.4 percentage-points in the estimated motherhood employment penalty. Our finding supports the notion that job prospects and gender equality in the labor market play a direct role in a mother’s labor supply response to childbirth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ciminelli, Gabriele, Cyrille Schwellnus & Balazs Stadler (2021): Sticky floors or glass ceilings? The role of human capital, working time flexibility and discrimination in the gender wage gap. (OECD Economics Department working papers 1668), Paris, 43 S. DOI:10.1787/02ef3235-en

Abstract

"Despite changes in social norms and policies, on average across 25 European countries, there remains a gap of around 15% in hourly earnings between similarly-qualified men and women. This raises inequality and limits growth by preventing women from reaching their full labour market potential. Using individual-level data, this paper quantifies the main drivers of gender wage gaps with a view to devising effective policies to reduce them. The findings suggest that, on average, “sticky floors” related to social norms, gender stereotyping and discrimination account for 40% of the gender wage gap, while the “glass ceiling” related to the motherhood penalty accounts for around 60%. The importance of the “glass ceiling” is especially large in most Northern and Western European countries, while “sticky floors” explain the major part of the gap in most Central and Eastern European countries. These results imply that most Northern and Western European countries need to prioritise policies to address the motherhood penalty, such as further promoting flexitime and telework and supporting early childcare. Most Central and Eastern European as well as Southern European countries, where “sticky floors” are more important, additionally need to prioritise equal pay and pay transparency laws, measures to address gender stereotyping, competition in product markets, as well as higher wage floors where they are currently low." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dudel, Christian & Sebastian Klüsener (2021): Male-Female Fertility Differentials Across 17 High-Income Countries: Insights From A New Data Resource. In: European Journal of Population, Jg. 37, H. 2, S. 417-441. DOI:10.1007/s10680-020-09575-9

Abstract

"Obtaining cross-country comparative perspectives on male fertility has long been difficult, as male fertility is usually less well registered than female fertility. Recent methodological advancements in imputing missing paternal ages at childbirth enable us to provide a new database on male fertility. This new resource covers more than 330 million live births and is based on a consistent and well-tested set of methods. These methods allow us to handle missing information on the paternal age, which is missing for roughly 10% of births. The data resource is made available in the Human Fertility Collection and allows for the first time a comparative perspective on male fertility in high-income countries using high-quality birth register data. We analyze trends in male–female fertility quantum and tempo differentials across 17 high-income countries, dating as back as far as the late 1960s for some countries, and with data available for the majority of countries from the 1980s onward. Using descriptive and counterfactual analysis methods, we find substantial variation both across countries and over time. Related to the quantum we demonstrate that disparities between male and female period fertility rates are driven to a large degree by the interplay of parental age and cohort size differences. For parental age differences at childbirth, we observe a development toward smaller disparities, except in Eastern Europe. This observation fits with expectations based on gender theories. However, variation across countries also seems to be driven by factors other than gender equality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Duval-Hernandez, Robert, Lei Fang & L. Rachel Ngai (2021): Taxes, Subsidies, and Gender Gaps in Hours and Wages. (Working papers / Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta 2021,17), Atlanta, Ga., 48 S. DOI:10.29338/wp2021-17

Abstract

"Using micro data from 17 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, this paper documents a negative cross-country correlation between gender ratios in market hours and wages. We find that market hours by women and the size of the service sector that produces close substitutes to home production are important for the gender differences in market hours across countries. We quantify the role played by taxes and subsidies to family care on the two gender ratios in a multisector model with home production. Higher taxes and lower subsidies reduce the marketization of home production and therefore reduce market hours. The effect is larger for women because of their comparative advantage in producing home services and the corresponding market substitutes. The larger fall in female market hours drives up the female wage relative to the male wage, resulting in higher gender wage ratios." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gaweł, Aleksandra & Katarzyna Mroczek-Dąbrowska (2021): Gender pay gap in explaining female entrepreneurship – industry perspective of selected European countries. In: International Journal of Manpower, Jg. 43, H. 9, S. 42-59. DOI:10.1108/IJM-12-2020-0554

Abstract

"Purpose: Although several theoretical concepts imply different determinants of female entrepreneurship, the literature lacks a consensus on their significance. The aim of this paper is to verify how industry specificity influences the gender pay gap and its relation to female entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: The authors distinguish industries based on the gender equality level, measured jointly by two factors: pay gap level and female participation rate. The study has been conducted among 22 European countries with relatively similar institutional backgrounds. The authors carry out the analysis based on the panel regression models, which enable the authors to verify two predefined research questions. Findings: The results of panel regression models indicate that industry specificity plays a significant role in the relation between the pay gap and female entrepreneurship. Generally, it can be concluded that gender pay gap as a measure of gender inequality is dependent on the industry specificity. The dependence is especially visible in the breakdown of male- and female-dominated industries. Originality/value: The findings are consistent with the assumption that the gender pay gap is a discriminatory factor for women willing to become entrepreneurs in certain industries. The findings of the study may constitute a vital tool in planning to overcome it." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Giménez-Nadal, José Ignacio & José Alberto Molina (2021): How do women allocate their available time in Europe? Differences with men. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 908), Maastricht, 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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Hennig, Jan-Luca & Balazs Stadler (2021): Firm-specific pay premiums and the gender wage gap in 21 European countries. In: Verein für Socialpolitik (Hrsg.) (2021): Climate Economics. Beiträge zur Jahrestagung des Vereins für Socialpolitik 2021.

Abstract

"We study how firm premia influence the gender wage gap for 21 European countries over 12 years. We use a quadrennial harmonized matched employer-employee data set to estimate gender-specific firm premia. Subsequently, we decompose the firm-specific wage premia differential into a within- and between-firm component. We show that, on average in Europe, the former mainly accounts for the decline in the pay gap between 2002 and 2014, while the latter does not change significantly. An analysis of the subgroups by age and gender reveals heterogeneity in the development of the components. We pay particular attention to the development of each component across the life cycle and find that the between-firm component is associated with an increase in the gender pay gap across the life cycle. The decomposition of firm premia then allows us to investigate how institutional settings relate to each component. For the within-firm component we exploit firm-level differences in the collective bargaining regime, and we link family policies to the between firm component. Centralized wage bargaining is associated with higher gender wage gaps, whereas family policies enabling and encouraging women to return to the labor market after family formation reduces the between-firm component." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Korinek, Jane, Evdokia Moïsé & Jakob Tange (2021): Trade and gender: A Framework of analysis. (OECD trade policy working papers 246), Paris, 87 S. DOI:10.1787/6db59d80-en

Abstract

"Closing gender gaps makes good economic sense. Advancing the aim of women's economic empowerment will require policy action across a wide range of areas, including increasing their participation in international trade. Although trade policies are not de jure discriminatory, they impact women and men differently due to dissimilar initial conditions. Mapping the channels and interactions between trade and gender for women as workers, consumers, and business owners shows that: (i) trade impacts women workers differently to men in part because they are employed in different sectors — in OECD countries, more often in services; (ii) trade lowers prices for consumers, which particularly increases the purchasing power of more vulnerable groups, where women are disproportionately represented; and (iii) higher trade costs impede smaller businesses' access to international markets more than large firms, which impacts women who tend to own and lead smaller businesses. A framework is proposed for analysing the impacts of trade and trade policies on women that policy makers can use in order to ensure that trade and trade policies in their country support women's economic empowerment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Li, Qi, Chris Knoester & Richard J. Petts (2021): Cross-national Attitudes about Paid Parental Leave Offerings for Fathers. (SocArXiv papers), 40 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/dxy24

Abstract

"Using cross-national data from the 2012 International Social Survey Programme (N = 33,273), this study considers institutional, self-interest, and ideational factors in analyzing public opinions about the provision, length, and source of paid parental leave offerings for fathers. We find substantial support for generous leave offerings. Multilevel regression results reveal that being a woman, supporting dual-earning expectations, and realizing more family strains lead to support for more generous leave offerings. Endorsing separate spheres and intensive mothering attitudes reduces support for more generous leave offerings; although, gendered attitudes interact with one another in predicting leave preferences, too. Finally, country-level indicators of female empowerment and father-specific leave offerings are positively associated with preferences for more generous leave offerings. Overall, public opinions about fathers’ leave offerings across OECD countries largely support policies that provide opportunities for more involved fathering, but preferences continue to be gendered and linked to family strains and country-level contexts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lightman, Naomi & Anthony Kevins (2021): "Women's Work": Welfare State Spending and the Gendered and Classed Dimensions of Unpaid Care. In: Gender & Society, Jg. 35, H. 5, S. 778-805. DOI:10.1177/08912432211038695

Abstract

"This study is the first to explicitly assess the connections between welfare state spending and the gendered and classed dimensions of unpaid care work across 29 European nations. Our research uses multi-level model analysis of European Quality of Life Survey data, examining childcare and housework burdens for people living with at least one child under the age of 18. Two key findings emerge: First, by disaggregating different types of unpaid care work, we find that childcare provision is more gendered than classed—reflecting trends toward “intensive mothering”. Housework and cooking, on the contrary, demonstrate both gender and class effects, likely because they are more readily outsourced by wealthier individuals to the paid care sector. Second, while overall social expenditure has no effect on hours spent on childcare and housework, results suggest that family policy may shape the relationship between gender, income, and housework (but not childcare). Specifically, family policy expenditure is associated with a considerably smaller gender gap vis-à-vis the time dedicated to housework: This effect is present across the income spectrum, but is particularly substantial in the case of lower income women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Magda, Iga & Katarzyna Lipowska (2021): Flexibility of Working Time Arrangements and Female Labor Market Outcome. (IZA discussion paper 14812), Bonn, 18 S.

Abstract

"We use data from the 2019 EU Labor Force Survey to study gender and parenthood gaps in two dimensions of flexibility in working time arrangements in 25 European countries. We find that overall in Europe, there is no statistically significant gender difference in access to flexible work arrangements. However, women are less likely than men to have flexible working hours in the Central-Eastern and Southern European countries, whereas this gender gap is reversed in Continental Europe. At the same time, women are less likely than men to face demands from their employers that they work flexible hours. We also find that both mothers and fathers are more likely than their childless colleagues to have access to flexible working hours, but that fathers' workplaces are more likely than mothers' workplaces to demand temporal flexibility from employees. In addition, we find that working in a female-dominated occupation decreases the probability of having access to flexible work arrangements, and that this effect is stronger for women than for men. At the same time, we observe that both men and women who work in female-dominated occupations are less exposed to flexibility demands from employers than their counterparts who work in male-dominated or gender-neutral occupations. Finally, we find that compared to employers in other Europeans countries, employers in the Central and Eastern European countries are less likely to offer flexible working hours, especially to women, and with no additional flexibility being offered to parents; whereas employers in Continental and Nordic countries are more likely to offer flexible work arrangements, and with no gender gap." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Moriconi, Simone & Núria Rodríguez-Planas (2021): Gender Norms and the Motherhood Employment Gap. (CESifo working paper 9471), München, 45 S.

Abstract

"Using individual-level data from the European Social Survey, we study the relevance of gender norms in accounting for the motherhood employment gap across 186 European NUTS2 regions (over 29 countries) for the 2002-2016 period. The gender norm variable is taken from a question on whether “men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce” and represents the average extent of disagreement (on a scale 1 to 5) of women belonging to the “grandmothers” cohort. We address the potential endogeneity of our gender norms measure with an index of the degree of reproductive health liberalization when grandmothers were 20 years old. We also account for the endogeneity of motherhood with the level of reproductive health liberalization when mothers were 20 years old. We find a robust positive association between progressive beliefs among the grandmothers' cohort and mothers' likelihood to work while having a small child (0 to 5 years old) relative to similar women without children. No similar association is found among men. Our analysis underscores the role of gender norms and maternal employment, suggesting that non-traditional gender norms mediate on the employment gender gap mainly via motherhood." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mourelatos, Evangelos (2021): Hiring Discrimination in Labor Markets. An Experimental Study of Mood Regulation. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 956), Essen, 49 S.

Abstract

"We explore whether there is a link between mood and hiring decisions. This research examines how positive mood affects the discrimination faced my homosexual job candidates compared to heterosexuals. Our experimental design allows us to track the complete hiring process and monitor employers' behavior within and without our treatment context, in both online and offline labor market settings. Constructing pairs of curriculum vitae, distinguished, in each case, only by the sexual orientation or the gender of the applicants, led to the observation that females and gay men faced a significantly lower chance of getting hired regardless the labor market context. We also find that female employers propose higher levels of discrimination only for the case of female applicants. Our positive mood manipulation led to a depletion of discrimination levels, with the effects being more robust in the online labor context. Thus, there is substantial experimental evidence to suggest that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender does exist also in online labor markets. Contributions to the hiring discrimination, mood research, and gig-economy literature are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Queisser, Monika (2021): COVID-19 and OECD Labour Markets: What Impact on Gender Gaps? In: Intereconomics, Jg. 56, H. 5, S. 249-253. DOI:10.1007/s10272-021-0993-6

Abstract

"Across the board statements on who suffers most are not helpful and may actually be a disservice to the fight for greater gender equality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Richardson, Nela & Sara Klein (2021): People at Work 2021: A Global Workforce View. Roseland, 48 S.

Abstract

"This report provides a starting point to understand the situation facing employees today across five dimensions of working life: worker confidence and job security; workplace conditions; pay and performance; worker mobility; and gender and family." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schmieder, Julia & Katharina Wrohlich (2021): Gender Pay Gap im europäischen Vergleich: Positiver Zusammenhang zwischen Frauenerwerbsquote und Lohnlücke. In: DIW-Wochenbericht, Jg. 88, H. 9, S. 141-147. DOI:10.18723/diw_wb:2021-9-3

Abstract

"Das öffentliche Interesse am Gender Pay Gap ist in den letzten Jahren in Deutschland deutlich gestiegen. Gleichzeitig hat sich bei der prozentualen Lohnlücke zwischen Frauen und Männern hierzulande kaum etwas getan. Ein europäischer Vergleich zeigt, dass niedrigere Frauenerwerbsquoten tendenziell mit einem niedrigeren Gender Pay Gap einhergehen. Eine Erklärung hierfür sind über die Länder variierende Geschlechterunterschiede in den Charakteristika der erwerbstätigen Bevölkerung. Sowohl im Vergleich zu allen Ländern als auch ausschließlich zu solchen mit ähnlichen Frauenerwerbsquoten hat Deutschland einen der höchsten Gender Pay Gaps in Europa. Im Gegensatz dazu fallen die nordischen Länder mit ihren vergleichsweise niedrigen Lohnlücken bei gleichzeitig hohen Frauenerwerbsquoten im europäischen Vergleich besonders positiv auf. Die Ausweitung der Partnermonate beim Elterngeld, der quantitative und qualitative Ausbau der Kinderbetreuung und eine Reform des Ehegattensplittings sind geeignete Instrumente um mehr Gleichstellung am Arbeitsmarkt zu erreichen – sowohl hinsichtlich der Erwerbsbeteiligung als auch der Löhne." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Sikirić, Ana Marija (2021): The Effect of Childcare Use on Gender Equality in European Labor Markets. In: Feminist economics, Jg. 27, H. 4, S. 90-113. DOI:10.1080/13545701.2021.1933560

Abstract

"Parenthood necessarily increases the scope of unpaid work in households and tends to depress women’s employment rates relative to men’s. This paper examines the relationship between the use of full-time childcare for children under 3 years of age and employment rates for men and women with one, two, or three or more children under 6 years of age in European households. Panel data from a sample of the (then) twenty-eight European Union member states for the 2005–15 period were analyzed. The results indicate that smaller differences between employment rates of men and women with one, two, or three or more children under 6 years of age are associated with greater use of full-time childcare arrangements for children under the age of 3." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Winkle, Zachary Van & Anette Fasang (2021): The complexity of employment and family life courses across 20th century Europe: More evidence for larger cross-national differences but little change across 1916‒1966 birth cohorts. In: Demographic Research, Jg. 44, S. 775-810. DOI:10.4054/DemRes.2021.44.32

Abstract

"Background: There has been much debate whether work and family lives became more complex in past decades, that is, exhibiting more frequent transitions and more uncertainty. Van Winkle and Fasang (2017) and Van Winkle (2018) first benchmarked change in employment and family complexity over time against cross-national differences in 14 European countries. Compared to sizeable and stable cross-national differences, the increase in employment and family complexity was small across cohorts. However, these studies could not include cohorts born past the late 1950s assumed to be most affected by the structural changes driving life course complexity and were limited to a relatively small set of West European countries. Objective: We replicate and extend these studies by adding over 15 additional countries in Eastern Europe and a decade of younger birth cohorts. Methods: The 3rd and 7th waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe, sequence complexity metrics, and cross-classified modelling are used to simultaneously quantify the proportions of variance attributable to cohort and country differences in work and family lives between ages 18 to 50. Results: The updated findings still support a negligible increase in family complexity and a moderate increase in employment complexity that pale in comparison to large and stable cross-national differences for individuals born between 1916 and 1966 for work and family lives experienced from 1934 to 2016 in 30 European countries. Specifically, 15 and 10% of employment and family complexity is nested across countries, compared to 5.5 and 2% across birth cohorts. However, the analyses also indicate a polarization in Europe between most Eastern and Southern European countries with stable and low family complexity compared to Nordic and some Western European countries with high and increasing family complexity. In contrast, moderately increasing employment complexity is a Europe-wide trend. Conclusions: This study both replicates the original studies' findings that cross-cohort change is minor compared to large cross-national differences, and is a substantive extension by addressing a large deficit of description on family and employment life course change in the Balkan and Baltic regions. Contribution: Cross-national comparisons are particularly promising for understanding the institutional drivers of employment and family instability." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Max-Planck-Institut für demographische Forschung) ((en))

Abstract

"Women continue to earn less than men, in spite of major societal changes over decades and many labour market, educational and public policy initiatives that have targeted the gender wage gap. To address this persistent challenge, many governments are now mandating promising new pay transparency tools like employer pay gap reporting, equal pay audits, and gender-neutral job classification systems. These policies hold considerable allure. Pay transparency offers a relatively simple and intuitive way to identify and address gender wage gaps when they occur in a workplace. These policies can function well in publicising wage gaps and incentivising employers to address the inequalities they find – but only with the right policy design and implementation. This report presents the first stocktaking of pay transparency tools across OECD countries and explores how such policies can help level the playing field for women and men at work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aksoy, Cevat Giray, Berkay Ozcan & Julia Philipp (2020): Robots and the Gender Pay Gap in Europe. (IZA discussion paper 13482), 48 S.

Abstract

"Could robotization make the gender pay gap worse? We provide the first large-scale evidence on the impact of industrial robots on the gender pay gap using data from 20 European countries. We show that robot adoption increases both male and female earnings but also increases the gender pay gap. Using an instrumental variable strategy, we find that a ten percent increase in robotization leads to a 1.8 percent increase in the gender pay gap. These results are mainly driven by countries with high levels of gender inequality and outsourcing destination countries. We then explore the mechanisms behind this effect and find that our results can be explained by the fact that men at medium- and high-skill occupations disproportionately benefit from robotization (through a productivity effect). We rule out the possibility that our results are driven by mechanical changes in the gender composition of the workforce nor by inflows or outflows from the manufacturing sector." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cabrita, Jorge, Julie Vanderleyden, Isabella Biletta & Barbara Gerstenberger (2020): Gender equality at work. (Eurofound research report / European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), Genf, 93 S. DOI:10.2806/934654

Abstract

"Gender inequality at work persists across Europe, despite the long standing attention paid and efforts made to tackle it. This Eurofound report presents a closer look at women’s and men’s working conditions, using data from Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) and complementing previous Eurofound research on, among other things, working time patterns, work–life balance and workers’ health. Beyond the general differences in the labour market, it highlights many important gaps in men’s and women’s working conditions and job quality which require specific attention. According to the EWCS data, the reduction of gender gaps in those areas showing improvement over the last 5 to 10 years remains limited. European and national strategies aimed at achieving job quality for all, that seek to mainstream gender equality, could help address persistent inequalities between men and women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fernández-Macías, Enrique & José-María Arranz-Muñoz (2020): Occupations and the recent trends in wage inequality in Europe. In: European journal of industrial relations, Jg. 26, H. 3, S. 331-346. DOI:10.1177/0959680119866041

Abstract

"We aim to contribute to a better understanding of the role that occupations played in recent trends in wage inequality in some European countries. Using EU-SILC data, we observe that most of the changes in wage inequality between 2005 and 2014 were the result of changes in the distribution of wages within occupations. A longer term approximation using data from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) shows similar patterns. We conclude that occupational dynamics did not drive recent trends in wage inequality in Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ferragina, Emanuele (2020): Family policy and women's employment outcomes in 45 high-income countries. A systematic qualitative review of 238 comparative and national studies. In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 54, H. 7, S. 1016-1066. DOI:10.1111/spol.12584

Abstract

"The article reviews the available quantitative evidence on the relationship between explicit family policy and women's employment outcomes in 45 high-income countries between 1980 and 2016. At the methodological level, we gathered 238 papers through a four-stage systematic qualitative review. We included articles published in English in international journals or by leading research institutes. Despite the accrued importance of the field, comparative works and national case studies do not sufficiently engage one another for methodological and disciplinary reasons. Our contribution is to integrate the findings from both streams of the literature in two ways. First, we chart systematically the debate describing its evolution over four decades, the disciplines involved (demography, economics, politics, social policy, sociology, and interdisciplinary work), and the geographical and policy breadth of the empirical contributions. Second, we provide a rich guide for scholars in the field by exploring how national case studies fit (or not) the broad trends captured in comparative research and discussing key and controversial debates in the field. In conclusion, we point out also important gaps in the literature and propose new avenues for future research. An exhaustive set of tables provides information on each comparative and national case study and on the databases and variables employed in the literature." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Goossen, Mikael (2020): The gender gap in welfare state attitudes in Europe. The role of unpaid labour and family policy. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 30, H. 4, S. 452-466. DOI:10.1177/0958928719899337

Abstract

"Previous research has shown a prevailing ‘modern gender gap’ in socio-political attitudes in advanced capitalist economies. While numerous studies have confirmed gender differences in attitudes towards the welfare state in Europe, few have addressed the reason for this rift in men’s and women’s views about the role of government in ensuring the general welfare of citizens. In this article, I examine the relationship between gender equality in unpaid labour, family policy and the gender gap in welfare state attitudes. Based on data from 21 countries participating in the European Social Survey (ESS) Round 4, and using a mix of country- and individual-level regression models and multilevel models, I find that there is a clear relationship between country-level gender equality in unpaid labour and gender differences in support of an encompassing welfare state. A more equal distribution of unpaid care and domestic work correlates with women being increasingly supportive of a large and encompassing welfare state, in comparison with men. This pattern holds when controlling for individual-level economic risk and resources, cultural factors such as trust and social values traditionally related to the support of an encompassing welfare state, and beliefs about welfare state efficiency and consequences for society in general. This pattern is evident for countries with a low level of familistic policies, while no distinguishable pattern is discernible for highly familistic countries. These findings have implications for the perception of gender as an emergent social cleavage with respect to welfare state attitudes. The results are discussed in the light of institutional theories on policy feedback, familism, social role theory and previous findings relating to modernization theory and ‘gender realignment’." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Heilmann, Lisanne, Iddo Gal & Anke Grotlüschen (2020): Do higher skill levels lead to better outcomes? The disproportionality between skills and outcomes for women. In: Gender, Jg. 12, H. 3, S. 87-106. DOI:10.3224/gender.v12i3.07

Abstract

"Wir wissen, dass auf dem Arbeitsmarkt eine Vielzahl von Mechanismen greift, die Frauen und Männer ungleich positionieren und deren Erfolgschancen beeinflussen. Dennoch bleibt in unseren meritokratischen Gesellschaften die grundlegende Annahme, dass höhere Kompetenzen und (persönliche oder gesellschaftliche) Investitionen in Bildung zu einer größeren Gleichberechtigung beitragen könnten. Doch trifft dies tatsächlich für Männer und Frauen gleichermaßen zu? In diesem Artikel prüfen wir anhand der PIAAC-Datensätze (Adult Skill Survey) für 13 europäische Länder, in welchem Maße die Kompetenzen von Männern und Frauen mit deren Positionen im Arbeitsmarkt korrelieren. In multivariaten Regressionen wird in der vorliegenden Untersuchung festgestellt, dass der Zusammenhang von Kompetenzen und Erfolg für Männer proportional verläuft, während dies für Frauen nicht der Fall ist. Ein Mehr an Fähigkeiten führt für sie keineswegs zu höheren Positionen oder Einkommen. Dies gilt sowohl für das monatliche Einkommen als auch für das Innehaben von Führungspositionen. Frauen haben im Schnitt höhere Kompetenzen als Männer bei ähnlicher Bezahlung und ähnlichen Positionen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Karabchuk, Tatiana (2020): Job Instability and Fertility Intentions of Young Adults in Europe: Does Labor Market Legislation Matter? In: The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Jg. 688, H. 1, S. 225-245. DOI:10.1177/0002716220910419

Abstract

"Total birth rates have fallen dramatically in many European countries during the last 40 years. Job and income instability caused by labor market polarization are significant drivers of declining birth rates because employment certainty and stability are crucial to childbirth planning among young adults. This article investigates the impact of job instability on the fertility intentions of young adults in Europe, focusing on employment protection legislation (EPL) in European countries. I use data from twenty-seven countries that participated in the European Social Survey in 2004 and 2010 to show that job instability measured as temporary employment, informal work, and unemployment decreases fertility intentions among European youth regardless of the EPL in the country. Unemployed young adults tend to plan less for having their first child in the countries with high EPL. Contrary to the hypotheses, multilevel modeling showed that young people in temporary or informal employment in countries with low EPL show decreases in their fertility intentions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))