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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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Ellingsæter, Anne Lise & Ragni Hege Kitterød (2025): Towards more gender equal parental time allocation: Norway, 1980–2010. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2521059

Abstract

"Research indicates a converging trend in how mothers and fathers allocate their time across Western societies, leading to a narrowing of gender gaps. Our case study, spanning three decades in the social democratic welfare state of Norway, offers new insights into the long-term processes that might drive these gender convergence trends. Data for this study were drawn from time-use surveys conducted between 1980 and 2010. This exploration of changing time allocation differentiates between mothers and fathers at various stages of parenthood, across different time periods and examines time devoted to work (including paid work, unpaid work, and total workload) as well as non-work (such as leisure and personal needs/rest). The gradual but uneven removal of institutional and cultural constraints – facilitated by the strengthening of egalitarian earner-caregiver policies and norms – was accompanied by significant shifts in how successive Generations of parents allocated their time. Over the decades, mothers’ and fathers’ time allocation became more similar, particularly in the 2000s. Notably, the equalization of time use was especially prominent among parents of preschool-aged children. However, among these parents, the total workload increased, resulting in less leisure time for both mothers and fathers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Escobedo, Anna & Peter Moss (2025): Parenting leave and gender in Spain: terminology, rationale and design. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-11. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2481861

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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Farré, Lídia, Libertad González, Claudia Hupkau & Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela (2025): Paternity leave in Spain. In: SERIEs, Jg. 16, H. 3-4, S. 749-784. DOI:10.1007/s13209-025-00320-1

Abstract

"Between 2017 and 2021, Spain progressively extended paternity leave from 2 to 16 weeks, equalizing it with maternity leave and introducing mandatory weeks. A 2018 reform also allowed fathers to split their leave. Using administrative data on all leave permits since 2016, we analyze trends in paternity leave take-up. Following the introduction of mandatory leave, the share of fathers taking leave increased by around 20 percentage points, and most now use nearly the full entitlement. The share opting to split leave has steadily grown, surpassing 50% by 2023. However, this behavior shows marked heterogeneity: While overall uptake is uniform across groups, leave-splitting is far more common among higher-income fathers and more prevalent in certain sectors. Spain’s experience illustrates how policy design can significantly increase paternity leave usage, though workplace flexibility and income-related constraints shape how fathers use that time." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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

Abstract

"Between 2017 and 2021, Spain progressively extended paternity leave from 2 to 16 weeks, equalizing it with maternity leave and introducing mandatory weeks. A 2018 reform also allowed fathers to split their leave. Using administrative data on all leave permits since 2016, we analyze trends in paternity leave take-up. Following the introduction of mandatory leave, the share of fathers taking leave increased by around 20 percentage points, and most now use nearly the full entitlement. The share opting to split leave has steadily grown, surpassing 50% by 2023. However, this behavior shows marked heterogeneity: while overall uptake is uniform across groups, leave-splitting is far more common among higher-income fathers and more prevalent in certain sectors. Spain’s experience illustrates how policy design can significantly increase paternity leave usage, though workplace flexibility and income-related constraints shape how fathers use that time." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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

Abstract

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

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Ferrer, Ana, Yazhuo (Annie) Pan & Tammy Schirle (2025): Added Worker Effects in Canada: The Effect of Spousal Job Loss on Transitions into Employment. In: Canadian public policy, Jg. 51, H. 1, S. 16-34. DOI:10.3138/cpp.2024-012

Abstract

"We examine added worker effects in Canada using the Labour Force Survey. At the extensive margin, we find that married women who are not employed are more likely to enter employment the month after a spouse has lost a job. Spousal job loss does not affect women's transition into employment in later months, and there are no significant effects for men. The effects do not appear to represent a behavioural response to an exogenous or unexpected spousal layoff. Rather, the women most likely to move in and out of employment have spouses who are more likely to experience a layoff that the family might anticipate, and they are prepared to respond. The added worker effect is stronger for more educated women, for homeowners, and when spouses’ wages are higher. At the intensive margin, we do not see significant changes in hours worked among employed persons when their spouse loses a job." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Feuillade, Mylène, Dominique Goux & Eric Maurin (2025): Rise in Home Working and Spousal Labor Supply. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17997), Bonn, 55 S.

Abstract

"This article explores how an employee's choice to work from home (WFH) influences his or her spouse's outcomes. Drawing on the specific features of the French institutions, we show that a spouse's switch to WFH leads to a sharp increase in the probability that his or her partner will also switch to WFH, as well as in the number of hours worked by the partner. These cross-effects are particularly strong on the better-paid partner within the couple (whether the man or the woman) who appears to condition his or her decision to work from home on that of his or her (less-paid) partner. The effects of WFH on the volume of hours worked are greatly underestimated when spillovers within couples are neglected. On the other hand, we detect no significant effect on partners' commuting distance, nor on the type of urban unit they choose to live in." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Filippo, Isabella Di, Bruno Escobar & Juan Facal (2025): Remote Work and Women's Labor Supply: The New Gender Division at Home. (arXiv papers), 67 S.

Abstract

"We study how increases in remote work opportunities for men affect their spouses' labor supply. Exploiting variation in the change in work-from-home (WFH) exposure across occupations before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we find that women whose husbands experienced larger WFH increases are over 2 percentage points more likely to be employed, equivalent to a 4% rise relative to pre-pandemic levels. Evidence from time-use diaries and childcare questionnaires suggests these effects are driven by intra-household reallocation of child-caring time: women are less likely to engage in primary childcare activities, while men working at home partially compensate by covering more for their spouse. These results highlight the role of intra-household spillovers and bargaining in shaping the labor market consequences of remote work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Filser, Andreas, Pascal Achard, Inga Marie Amend, Corinna Frodermann, Inga Gaede & Sander Wagner (2025): Harmonizing French and German administrative data on maternal employment. A practical guide how to create comparable data sets from DADS-EDP and SIAB. (SocArXiv papers), 18 S. DOI:10.31219/osf.io/rcsng

Abstract

"This paper provides a guide how to harmonize large-scale administrative datasets from France (DADS-EDP) and Germany (SIAB) for comparative social science research. France and Germany. While both datasets offer rich, longitudinal information on individual employment trajectories which can be augmented with firm-level information, they differ in structure, sample coverage, and variable coding. Harmonizing these datasets unlocks new potential for comparative research, particularly in examining the labor market trajectories of mothers in both countries. This paper outlines the necessary steps to harmonize these data sources and gives an overview on the set of harmonized variables. The harmonized data is of significant value for researchers, providing a foundation for comparative studies on labor market outcomes in France and Germany, especially in the context of welfare state differences and their importance within the EU and worldwide. The code for harmonization is provided for further adaptation to specific research questions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Flisbäck, Marita (2025): A social class analysis of desire and outcome concerning parental leave among first-time parents in Sweden: theoretical perspectives and reflections on policy relevance. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2575769

Abstract

"Parenthood is a practice through which both gender and class are created. Drawing on longitudinal qualitative interviews, this article explores how these processes unfold during the initial phase of parenthood. Analyzing Swedish first-time parents' plans and actual outcomes regarding parental leave, three main motivations emerge: promoting gender equality, bonding with their child, and creating a meaningful life. However, parents in blue-collar occupations seem to distance themselves from the rhetoric of Swedish gender equality policy. For them, parental leave is less about equal opportunities in family and work, and more about solidarity and collective responsibility. A further distinction arises between viewing parental leave as a way to enjoy the present and as a future investment – an idea echoed in recent Swedish family policy. These 'social distinctions' contribute to the formation of different existential mottos that shape parental engagement. Moreover, depending on their cultural and economic capital, and their positions within occupational fields, parents develop varying strategies to align the practice with their wishes. In this context, real freedom diverges from statutory rights. The limits of decommodification within the Swedish parental insurance system appear to affect both the most and least in-demand groups in the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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Gan, Renren, Egbert L. W. Jongen, Simon Rabaté & Bo Terpstra (2025): The Evolution of the Child Penalty and Gender-Related Inequality in the Netherlands, 1989–2022. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18158), Bonn, 39 S.

Abstract

"We study the evolution of the child penalty and gender-related inequality in the Netherlands. We use administrative panel data from 1989 to 2022 in an extension of the event study approach used in Kleven et al. (2019b). We document a substantial decline in child penalties (in earnings) for first-time mothers from 60% in the early 1990s to 35% in the 2010s. This decline is much larger than in the handful of other countries documented so far. However, looking at subperiods, we also find that the decline in the child penalty in the Netherlands has stalled in the mid 2000s, despite a steep rise in spending on formal childcare. Next, we decompose the gender-related inequality for parents into inequality related to children, education, migration background and a residual. We find that overall gender-related inequality and child-related gender inequality decline in parallel over time. The role of education and migration background is small and becomes less important over time. Hence, a substantial residual remains, and cannot be attributed to the aforementioned factors. We also show that the event-time window used is crucial for the contribution of the child penalty to the evolution of gender inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

Zitatform

Geis-Thöne, Wido (2025): 300.000 Betreuungsplätze für unter Dreijährige fehlen. Eine Betrachtung der Entwicklung von Bestand und Bedarf an Betreuungsplätzen. (IW-Report / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2025,63), Köln, 24 S.

Abstract

"Hatte die Zahl der unter Dreijährigen in institutioneller Betreuung im Jahr 2023 mit 857.000 ihren Höchststand erreicht, ist sie bis zum Jahr 2025 wieder um 56.000 oder 6,5 Prozent auf nur noch 801.000 gesunken. Niedriger lag sie letztmals im Jahr 2018. Ursächlich hierfür sind vorwiegend die stark gesunkenen Kinderzahlen. Lebten Ende des Jahres 2022 noch 2,28 Millionen unter Dreijährige in Deutschland, waren es Ende des Jahres 2024 nur noch 2,12 Millionen. Gleichzeitig ist im letzten Jahr allerdings auch die Betreuungsquote leicht von 38,2 Prozent auf 37,8 Prozent gesunken (jeweils bezogen auf Kinderzahlen nach Korrektur der Bevölkerungsbestände mit dem Zensus 2022), was bisher nur einmal - im Umfeld der Corona-Pandemie im Jahr 2021 - der Fall war. Legt man die Angaben von Eltern zu den Betreuungswünschen für ihre unter Dreijährigen aus dem Vorjahr zugrunde, hätte im Jahr 2025 an sich ein Bedarf an 1,10 Millionen Betreuungsplätzen bestanden, womit sich rechnerisch eine Lücke von 300.000 Plätzen ergibt. Allerdings ist die Lage regional sehr unterschiedlich. Im Osten ist die Zahl der unter Dreijährigen zwischen dem 31. Dezember 2018 und dem 31. Dezember 2023 um 19,6 Prozent zurückgegangen und damit regelrecht eingebrochen. Damit einhergehend ist auch der rechnerische Bedarf an Betreuungsplätzen zwischen den Jahren 2019 und 2025 von 261.000 auf nur noch 213.000 gesunken. Diese negative Entwicklung dürfte sich noch weiter fortsetzen, da sich im Osten bei den Geburten bislang noch keine Trendumkehr abzeichnet. Auch ist die Betreuungsinfrastruktur mit einer Betreuungsquote von 54,9 Prozent im Jahr 2025 bereits sehr gut ausgebaut. So dürfte ein Rückbau nahezu unumgänglich sein. Allerdings betrifft dies nur die Einrichtungen und nicht das freiwerdende Personal, das eingesetzt werden sollte, um die Relationen zwischen den Betreuungskräften und Kindern zu verbessern und so die Qualität der Angebote zu stärken. In Westdeutschland lag der errechnete Bedarf an Betreuungsplätzen im Jahr 2025 mit 890.000 ähnlich hoch wie im Jahr 2019 mit 891.000. Dies erklärt sich nicht nur mit weit weniger stark rückläufigen Kinderzahlen als im Osten, sondern auch mit noch steigenden Betreuungswünschen der Eltern. Insbesondere in Baden-Württemberg und Bayern dürfte hier auch bei weitem noch nicht das Ende erreicht sein, wobei unter anderem auch die von staatlicher Seite gesteuerte Entwicklung der Elternbeiträge und weiterer Aspekte des institutionellen Rahmens einen Einfluss haben können. Derzeit fehlen in diesen beiden Ländern zusammen rechnerisch 87.000 Betreuungsplätze und in Nordrhein-Westfalen 85.000. Relativ zur Zahl der Kinder liegen die Lücken in Bremen, Rheinland-Pfalz, im Saarland und in Nordrhein-Westfalen mit Werten zwischen 18 Prozent und 19 Prozent am höchsten. Insgesamt ergibt sich für Westdeutschland eine Lücke von 15,6 Prozent. Besonders hoch ist die Betreuungsquote in Hamburg mit 49,3 Prozent, wohingegen sie beim Schlusslicht Bremen mit 31,3 Prozent um mehr als ein Drittel niedriger liegt. Dort besucht auch im Alter von drei Jahren noch mehr als ein Fünftel der Kinder keine Kita, was bei einer vergleichsweise heterogenen Bevölkerung mit Blick auf die Entwicklungs- und Teilhabechancen der Kinder sehr problematisch sein kann. Grundsätzlich sollte in den nächsten Jahren nicht nur darauf hingearbeitet werden, flächendeckend Betreuungsangebote zu machen, die die Bedarfe der Eltern möglichst vollständig decken. Wichtig ist es auch, Kinder mit besonderem Unterstützungsbedarf - insbesondere im Bereich des Erwerbs der deutschen Sprache - frühzeitig in die Kitas zu holen, auch wenn sich die Eltern an sich noch nicht unbedingt eine institutionelle Betreuung für sie wünschen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Gerich, Joachim & Martina Beham-Rabanser (2025): Perceived fairness and legitimacy of parental workplace discrimination. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-27. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2453175

Abstract

"Parental discrimination has been shown to be related to several risks, including impaired health, increased job stress, and decreased job satisfaction, which calls for increased awareness of parental discrimination. This paper analyzes fairness and legitimacy judgments of unequal treatment based on parental status at work and the antecedents that influence these judgments. Stereotypes of symbolic vilification that suggest lower commitment due to caring responsibilities, and symbolic amplification, which refers to rational economic organizational needs, are expected to rationalize discrimination. Moreover, we expect specific values and ideologies to be related to judgments of fairness and legitimacy, mediated by resonance with symbolic vilification and amplification. Analyses are based on survey data from a sample of employees aged between 20 and 45 years (n = 376). Respondents' evaluations of parental discrimination were measured using two fictional cases. The results suggest that greater acceptance of vilifying and amplifying justifications is triggered by a stronger preference for the ideal worker norm and traditional gender role expectations. Women tend to view discrimination as more unfair and illegitimate than men, while men's judgments are more strongly driven by economic reasoning." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Ghosh, Saikat & Christian Aßmann (2025): Assessing the Differential Income Effects of Maternal Employment Interruptions in Germany. (LIfBi working paper 121), Bamberg, 30 S. DOI:10.5157/LIfBi:WP121:1.0

Abstract

"Employment interruption due to childbirth remains a key contributor to the persistent motherhood penalty in labour markets. While such interruptions consistently reduce earnings, their impact is not uniform and depends significantly on the nature of subsequent employment. This study offers robust empirical evidence on the nuanced effects of employment interruptions, employment types, and job changes on mothers’ annual labour income in Germany. Utilizing a dataset, which combines rich survey and administrative records, we estimate the differential effects of employment interruptions in interaction with employment type and job mobility. Our findings reveal that the income penalties associated with employment interruptions vary substantially depending on whether mothers engage in regular or non-regular work, and whether they change jobs post-childbirth. The results also document a reasonable amount of persistent latent heterogeneity. These insights have important implications for labour market policy and contribute to the limited empirical literature on post-childbirth employment trajectories." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Giuliani, Giovanni Amerigo & Nicola De Luigi (2025): In-work poverty and family policy in Italy: from a frozen to a thawing landscape? In: Community, work & family, Jg. 28, H. 4, S. 558-578. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2023.2282356

Abstract

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

Zitatform

Godechot, Olivier, Mirna Safi & Matthew Soener (2025): Organizational Intersectionality: Do Gender and Migration Status Inequalities Reinforce or Offset Each Other in French Workplaces? In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 6, S. 1463-1485. DOI:10.1177/09500170251348848

Abstract

"This study examines whether organizations with significant pay gaps along one dimension (gender, migration status, class, etc.) tend to exhibit similarly high inequalities along other dimensions, or whether there is a trade-off between inequality dimensions. Using French administrative data, it estimates correlations between class, gender and migrant workplace earnings gaps, and studies how these gaps also relate to a fourth measure of intra-categorical inequality. To ensure robust results, this article introduces innovative methods to address measurement biases that may distort the relationship between earnings gaps. It establishes three key patterns. First, the gender gap is higher in more unequal workplaces. Second, the migrant gap is higher in more equal workplaces. Third, gender and migrant earnings gaps are negatively correlated within workplaces. These results suggest that workplace inequality regimes are shaped by both reinforcing and trade-off dynamics. Finally, this article explores factors influencing these patterns and highlights the role of industries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Gruber, Jonathan, Tuomas Kosonen & Kristiina Huttunen (2025): Paying moms to stay home: Short and long run effects on parents and children. In: Journal of Public Economics, Jg. 251. DOI:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2025.105496

Abstract

"We study the impacts of the Finnish Home Care Allowance (HCA) for mothers who stay at home with children that are under age of three. We use regional and over time variation to show that the HCA decreases maternal employment in both the short and long term. The effects are large enough to explain the relatively high short-term child penalty in Finland. HCA negatively affects the early childhood cognitive test results of children, decreases enrollment in high school, and increases youth crimes. We confirm our results by studying a daycare fee reform that had the opposite effects on mothers and children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

Zitatform

Grönqvist, Erik, Yoko Okuyama, Lena Hensvik & Anna Thoresson (2025): Women's labor market opportunities and equality in the household. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2025,11), Uppsala, 57 S.

Abstract

"We study how changes in couples’ relative wages affect the division of childcare.Using a nationwide wage reform that raised pay in the female-dominated teaching profession, we find that closing 25% of the earnings gap between female teachers and their male spouses led to a 12% reduction in the childcare time gap. This result holds when we extend the analysis to major pay raises for women at the population level. Data support the mechanism that women reduce their childcare time when the spouse can step in by working more from home. Policies that address female pay can foster household equality if men have access to flexible work arrangements." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Haan, Peter, Michaela Kreyenfeld, Sarah Schmauk & Tatjana Mika (2025): Rentenansprüche von Frauen bleiben mit steigender Kinderzahl deutlich hinter denen von Männern zurück. In: DIW-Wochenbericht, Jg. 92, H. 12, S. 183-189. DOI:10.18723/diw_wb:2025-12-1

Abstract

"Der Gender Pension Gap, der den Unterschied bei den Rentenansprüchen zwischen Männern und Frauen misst, liegt laut Daten der Deutschen Rentenversicherung im Alter von 60 Jahren bei 32 Prozent. Darüber hinaus zeigt sich auch ein deutlicher Unterschied bei den gesetzlichen Rentenansprüchen zwischen Müttern und kinderlosen Frauen (Motherhood Pension Gap). Diesem Gap wirken die im Jahr 1986 eingeführten und seither mehrfach modifizierten Kindererziehungszeiten entgegen. Die Anrechnung von Kindererziehungszeiten reduziert die Unterschiede der Rentenanwartschaften zwischen kinderlosen Frauen und Müttern zwar deutlich, allerdings nur für die Jahre nach der Geburt. Für die Geburtsjahrgänge 1952 bis 1959 liegt der Motherhood Pension Gap im Alter von 60 Jahren in Westdeutschland bei 26 Prozent: Kindererziehungszeiten können den Rentennachteil von Müttern nicht ausgleichen. Weitere sozial- und steuerpolitische Maßnahmen, die eine gleichberechtigte Aufteilung von Sorge- und Erwerbsarbeit fördern, sind notwendig. Neben dem Ausbau der Kinderbetreuung sind Reformen des Ehegattensplittings und der Minijobs sowie ein Umbau der Arbeitswelt erforderlich, der die Bedürfnisse von Sorgetragenden stärker berücksichtigt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Hancock, Kyle, Jeanne Lafortune & Corinne Low (2025): Winning the Bread and Baking it Too: Gendered Frictions in the Allocation of Home Production. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 33393), Cambridge, Mass, 66 S.

Abstract

"We document that female breadwinners do more home production than their male partners, driven by “housework” like cooking and cleaning. By comparing to same sex couples, we highlight that specialization within heterosexual households does not appear to be “gender neutral ” even after accounting for average earnings differences. One possible explanation would be a large comparative advantage in housework by women, a supposition commonly used to match aggregate labor supply statistics. Using a model, we show that while comparative advantage can match some stylized facts about how couples divide housework, it fails to match others, particularly that men's housework time is inelastic to relative household wages. Matching these facts requires some gendered wedge between the opportunity cost of housework time and its assignment within the household. We then turn to the implications for household formation. Gendered rigidities in the allocation of household tasks result in lower surplus for couples where women out-earn men than vice versa, providing a micro-founded reason for substantial literature showing that lower relative earning by men decreases marriage rates. We show that our mechanism —allocation of housework, rather than norms about earnings—plays a role by relating marriage rates to the ratio of home production time in US immigrants' countries of origin." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Hart, Chloe Grace (2025): Tensions of Making Women's Marginalization Salient in Men-Dominated Workplaces. In: Work and occupations, Jg. 52, H. 3, S. 358-387. DOI:10.1177/07308884241268704

Abstract

"Why might women who experience gender-based bias and harassment at work shy away from efforts to address gender inequality in their workplaces? Drawing on data from 52 interviews with women working in the Silicon Valley tech industry, I show that efforts to address women's marginalization in the men-dominated tech industry are complicated by the inscription of negative, gender essentialist stereotypes about women into narratives about why such initiatives are necessary. Interviewees voiced two rationales for not explicitly challenging women's marginalization. First, some women—particularly those whose race/ethnicity and age were typical of Silicon Valley tech workers—articulated a concern that such efforts may be interpreted as evidence that women are fundamentally different from, and deficient relative to, men. Second, women across race/ethnicity and age conveyed the concern that such efforts frame women as disempowered victims lacking agency. Both concerns represent a double bind: ignoring the marginalization that women face maintains a status quo rife with gender bias, but seeking to address it risks further entrenching negative stereotypes about women. These results illustrate both the durable nature of the gender status hierarchy and the unique ways that women of different intersecting identities confront it." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Hartosch, Katja, Linda Heuer, Anna Heusler, Julia Lang & Angela Ulrich (2025): Die Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben kann Frauen bei der Rückkehr in den Beruf unterstützen. In: IAB-Forum H. 07.07.2025, 2025-07-02. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250707.01

Abstract

"Frauen unterbrechen ihre Erwerbstätigkeit häufiger als Männer. Dies führt oft zu Schwierigkeiten beim Wiedereinstieg ins Erwerbsleben. So können Qualifikationen veralten und Unsicherheiten über berufliche Möglichkeiten entstehen. Unterstützung bietet die Berufsberatung im Erwerbsleben der Bundesagentur für Arbeit. Untersuchungen des IAB geben Anhaltspunkte, inwiefern die Gruppe der Berufsrückkehrerinnen durch dieses Beratungsangebot erreicht wird." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Hellstrand, Julia, Jessica Nisén & Mikko Myrskylä (2025): Economic uncertainty and men's fertility: analysing the 2010s fertility decline in Finland by field of education and employment characteristics. (MPIDR working paper / Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research 2025-001), Rostock, 38 S. DOI:10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2025-001

Abstract

"In the Nordic countries, the total fertility rate (TFR) fell sharply in the 2010s, and increasing disparities in childbearing outcomes across different levels and fields of education have been documented in previous research. However, the role of economic uncertainty in shaping these fertility trends is not well understood. This study examines the male fertility decline in Finland during the 2010s, focusing on how fertility levels and trends vary by field of education and the economic uncertainty associated with these fields. Using full population register data, the analysis explores total fertility rates (TFR) and the expected shares of men having a first birth (TFRp1) across 122 detailed education groups. We find that fertility declines were stronger in fields with initially lower fertility levels, such as ICT, arts, and humanities, and weaker in fields like health, teaching, and agriculture. Weighted linear regression was used to analyse the association between characteristics reflecting uncertainty and the fertility decline. Fields with higher unemployment, lower income, and lower occupational match saw sharper fertility declines. Additionally, as unemployment decreased and income grew during the 2010s, fertility declines were less pronounced in fields that experienced stronger improvements in these areas. The predictive power of the uncertainty variables increased in the 2010s. The uncertainty model accounted for approximately half of the TFR decline and two-thirds of the TFRp1 decline across different fields. The study highlights the growing disparities in fertility patterns by educational field, underlining the increasing importance of economic security in shaping men's fertility. Keywords: men's fertility, Finland, unemployment, income, occupational match, occupation specificity" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

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))

Zitatform

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

Abstract

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

Zitatform

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))

Zitatform

Hohendanner, Christian, Markus Janser & Florian Lehmer (2025): Strukturwandel am Arbeitsmarkt durch die ökologische Transformation - Folgen für Geschlechterverhältnisse auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Expertise für den Vierten Gleichstellungsbericht der Bundesregierung. Berlin, 94 S.

Abstract

"Die vorliegende Expertise untersucht erstmals quantitativ die strukturellen Veränderungen des Arbeitsmarktes in Deutschland im Hinblick auf geschlechtsbezogene Aspekte, die im Zuge der ökologischen Transformation entstehen. Wir verwenden hierfür einen Tasks-basierten Ansatz zur Identifikation der betroffenen Akteur*innen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Dazu werden der Greenness-of-Jobs Index (GOJI) (Janser 2019, 2024), das IAB-Berufepanel (Version 2012-2022, inkl. GOJI) sowie deskriptive Statistiken auf Basis des IAB-Betriebspanels herangezogen. Das IAB-Berufepanel wie die Auswertungen des IAB-Betriebspanels sind auf der Homepage des IAB öffentlich zugänglich und können für weitere Analysen genutzt werden. Zusätzlich werden Maßnahmen diskutiert, die helfen könnten, mögliche Ungleichheiten in der ökologischen Transformation abzufedern und zu überwinden. Ziel der Expertise ist es, den Sachverständigen für den Vierten Gleichstellungsbericht eine fundierte empirische Grundlage zu den Veränderungen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt und deren potenziellen Folgen für Geschlechterverhältnisse durch die ökologische Transformation zu liefern. Die Expertise zeigt auf, inwiefern Frauen und Männer gleichermaßen oder unterschiedlich von den Entwicklungen des Arbeitsmarktes profitieren bzw. betroffen sind. Es wird dargestellt, in welchen Branchen und Berufen sich Tätigkeitsfelder verändert haben und neue Beschäftigungsverhältnisse entstanden bzw. weggefallen sind – jeweils mit besonderem Fokus auf die Unterschiede zwischen Frauen und Männern. Vor dem Hintergrund aller zusammengetragenen Erkenntnisse wird abschließend diskutiert, inwiefern die bisherigen Ergebnisse darauf hindeuten, dass sich geschlechtsbezogene Unterschiede bzw. Ungleichheiten auf dem Arbeitsmarkt in der ökologischen Transformation eher angleichen oder weiter auseinanderentwickeln." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

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))

Zitatform

Huebener, Mathias, Jonas Jessen, Daniel Kühnle & Michael Oberfichtner (2025): Parental Leave, Worker Substitutability, and Firms' Employment. In: The Economic Journal, Jg. 135, H. 669, S. 1467-1495., 2024-12-06. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueae114

Abstract

"Motherhood and parental leave are frequent causes of worker absences and employment interruptions, yet little is known about their effects on firms. Based on linked employer-employee data from Germany, we examine how parental leave absences affect small-and medium-sized firms. We show that they anticipate the absence with replacement hirings in the six months before childbirth. A 2007 parental leave reform extending leave absences reduces firm-level employment and total wages up to three years after childbirth, driven by firms with few internal substitutes for the absent mother. However, we do not find longer-term effects on firms’ employment, wage bill, or likelihood to shut down. The reform led to an increase in replacement hirings, but firms did not respond to longer expected absences of mothers by subsequently hiring fewer young women. Overall, our findings show that anticipated, extended parental leave does not have a lasting impact on firms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Oxford University Press) ((en))

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Hummel, Markus, Susanne Kohaut, Tim Kovalenko, Max Kunaschk, Martin Popp, Julia Schmidtke, Barbara Schwengler, Enzo Weber & Gerd Zika (2025): Veränderungen am deutschen Arbeitsmarkt - Einflüsse und Entwicklungen. Stellungnahme des IAB zur Anhörung beim Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung am 9.7.2025. (IAB-Stellungnahme 02/2025), Nürnberg, 18 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.SN.2502

Abstract

"Zur Vorbereitung des Jahresgutachtens 2025/2026 des Sachverständigenrats zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung wurde das IAB um seine Expertise zur Einschätzung der folgenden Themen gebeten: - Entwicklung des deutschen Arbeitsmarkts - Auswirkungen der Handelspolitik, des Sondervermögens Infrastruktur und der erhöhten Verteidigungsausgaben auf den Arbeitsmarkt - Entwicklung der Beschäftigung im Verarbeitenden Gewerbe - Auswirkungen der informellen Pflege auf den Arbeitsmarkt. Die Erkenntnisse, die das IAB bereits Juli 2025 hierzu vorgelegt hat, werden in der vorliegenden Stellungnahme zusammengefasst." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Höpfner, Elena (2025): Wie Mütter für den Arbeitsmarkt verfügbar gemacht werden sollen. Vorgaben zur frühzeitigen Aktivierung von Erziehenden kleiner Kinder unter drei Jahren in der Grundsicherung. In: Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, Jg. 71, H. 1, S. 63-86., 2025-01-08. DOI:10.1515/zsr-2024-0024

Abstract

"Erziehende im Bürgergeldbezug können bis zum dritten Lebensjahr des Kindes die Forderungen, arbeiten zu müssen oder sich darauf z. B. durch Maßnahmen vorzubereiten, verneinen. Auf diesen Ausnahmetatbestand von der Pflicht zur Erwerbsarbeit – verankert im § 10 im Zweiten Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB II) – berufen sich fast ausschließlich Mütter. Diese Zeitspanne der ersten drei Lebensjahre des Kindes soll jedoch zukünftig an allen Jobcentern – so untergesetzliche Weisungen seit 2021 – intensiver als bisher dafür genutzt werden, vorhandene „Erwerbspotenziale“ der Mütter zu erkennen und ihre „Arbeitsmarktintegration vorzubereiten“. Im Rahmen dieses Beitrags bin ich der Frage nachgegangen, wie diese Bemühungen um „frühzeitige Aktivierung“ in einer Änderung der administrativen Vorgaben institutionalisiert werden. Wie sollen Mütter kleiner Kinder in der Grundsicherung zukünftig für den Arbeitsmarkt verfügbar gemacht werden und unter welchen Bedingungen kann ihnen Erwerbsarbeit zugemutet werden? Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrags ist eine Analyse dieser arbeitsmarkt- und sozialpolitisch motivierten Änderungen. Diese erfolgt mittels einer historischen Einordnung sowie einer Dokumentenanalyse der Vorgaben – die sich als Prozess der Verfügbarmachung in fünf Dimensionen aufschlüsseln und als ein Rekommodifizierungsversuch einer bisher im Wohlfahrtsstaat geschützten Lebensphase deuten lassen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter)

Zitatform

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, Jg. 39, H. 6, S. 1415-1439. 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))

Zitatform

Ishizuka, Patrick (2025): Parental self-evaluations by gender and social class: Shared parenting ideals, male breadwinner norms, and mothers’ higher evaluation standards. In: Social science research, Jg. 128. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2025.103156

Abstract

"Cultural norms that define “good” parenting are central to sociological explanations of gender inequality among parents and social class differences in parental investments in children. Yet, little is known about how mothers and fathers of different social classes evaluate their success as parents and what predicts those assessments. Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examines how caregiving and breadwinning are tied to parents’ self-evaluations by genderand social class. Results show that intensive parenting activities and full-time employment strongly predict more positive self-evaluations for mothers and fathers, reflecting gender symmetry in core cultural expectations of parents. However, earnings, homeownership, and overwork positively predict self-evaluations for fathers only, and mothers evaluate themselves more negatively than fathers at the same level of involvement and financial provision. Finally, intensive parenting activities similarly positively predict self-evaluations for more- and less-educated parents. Findings highlight challenges to meeting cultural expectations of modern parenthood, particularly for mothers and economically disadvantaged parents." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author. Published byElsevier Inc.) ((en))

Zitatform

Jalovaara, Marika, Leen Rahnu & Anneli Miettinen (2025): Employment status and entry into parenthood: Weaker labor market status an unlikely driver of cohort fertility decline in a Nordic welfare state. In: Acta sociologica, S. 1-18. DOI:10.1177/00016993251403380

Abstract

"Previous studies in the Nordic context have found a positive association between stronger labor market attachment and entry into parenthood (i.e. first birth), with the association being stronger for men than women and influenced by educational attainment and life-course stage. Using total population register data and event history methods, this study asks whether and how the relationship between employment status and entry into parenthood has changed for women and men born in Finland in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. We first examine how the employment situations in which women and men make decisions about entering parenthood have changed across cohorts. Our results indicate that episodes of unemployment have not increased across cohorts of women and men who are (still) childless. At the same time, young adults are increasingly combining studies and paid employment. Stable employment promotes entry into parenthood for both men and women, although the association remains stronger for men. Sufficient economic resources to start a family may have become even more important in recent cohorts, as the negative association between longer-term unemployment and transition to parenthood appears to have intensified. We also observe a cohort trend toward delayed or foregone entry into parenthood occurring regardless of labor market status. To conclude, although weak labor market status is associated with lower first-birth rates, it is unlikely to be a major driver of the cohort fertility decline, as we observe no deterioration in young adults’ labor market status and only modest changes in its association with entry into parenthood." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Jochmann-Döll, Andrea (2025): Entgeltgleichheit gemeinsam herstellen: Notwendig und machbar! Handlungshinweise und Erfahrungen aus der Praxis eines Unternehmens. (Working paper Forschungsförderung / Hans Böckler Stiftung 378), Düsseldorf, 46 S.

Abstract

"Wie kann geprüft werden, ob gleiche oder gleichwertige Arbeit gleich bezahlt wird und die Entgeltgleichheit der Geschlechter verwirklicht ist? Diese Frage stellt sich in vielen Unternehmen, angestoßen durch den Wandel der Geschlechterverhältnisse, die Veränderung von Tätigkeiten im Zuge der digitalen Transformation und neue rechtliche Grundlagen der Entgeltgleichheit durch die Entgelttransparenzrichtlinie der EU. In diesem Papier wird am praktischen Beispiel eines Unternehmens gezeigt, wie das Instrumentarium eg-check.de hierfür eingesetzt wurde. Sein Ablauf, die angewendeten Methoden und die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse werden beschrieben, der Bezug zur Entgelttransparenzrichtlinie wird hergestellt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)