Gender und Arbeitsmarkt
Das Themendossier "Gender und Arbeitsmarkt" bietet wissenschaftliche und politiknahe Veröffentlichungen zu den Themen Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen und Männern, Müttern und Vätern, Berufsrückkehrenden, Betreuung/Pflege und Arbeitsteilung in der Familie, Work-Life-Management, Determinanten der Erwerbsbeteiligung, geschlechtsspezifische Lohnunterschiede, familien- und steuerpolitische Regelungen sowie Arbeitsmarktpolitik für Frauen und Männer.
Mit dem Filter „Autorenschaft“ können Sie auf IAB-(Mit-)Autorenschaft eingrenzen.
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Männern
- Kinderbetreuung und Pflege
- Berufliche Geschlechtersegregation
- Berufsrückkehr – Wiedereinstieg in den Arbeitsmarkt
- Dual-Career-Couples
- Work-Life
- Geschlechtsspezifische Lohnunterschiede
- Familienpolitische Rahmenbedingungen
- Aktive/aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- Arbeitslosigkeit und passive Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- geografischer Bezug
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Literaturhinweis
Low Fertility Around the World: The Role of Social Norms (2026)
Zitatform
Nakakuni, Kanato, Michèle Tertilt & Minchul Yum (2026): Low Fertility Around the World: The Role of Social Norms. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 21342), London, 55 S.
Abstract
"This chapter examines how social norms shape fertility behavior. We first present cross-country evidence linking fertility to norms regarding family size, childcare, gender roles, parenting, and sexual behavior. We also review empirical studies showing substantial fertility spillovers within families, workplaces, and social networks. To interpret these patterns, we present a series of models to clarify the mechanisms through which norms and fertility decisions interact. We organize the theories by type of norm: norms about ideal family size, norms governing the use of market childcare, gender norms within the household, parenting norms related to educational investment and social comparison, and norms surrounding birth control. We discuss how changes in social norms over time may have contributed to fertility decline. Finally, we highlight promising directions for future research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Baby Boom or Baby Bust? Parental Leave of TMT Members and Innovation in SMEs (2026)
Zitatform
Naldi, Lucia, Evila Piva & Massimo Baù (2026): Baby Boom or Baby Bust? Parental Leave of TMT Members and Innovation in SMEs. In: Entrepreneurship theory and practice, S. 1-36. DOI:10.1177/10422587261440307
Abstract
"We investigate the effect of parental leave taken by top management team (TMT) members on innovation outputs in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By analyzing a large sample of Swedish SMEs, we find that the length of parental leave taken by TMT members has a positive effect on SME innovation outputs. This effect is stronger for smaller and longer-tenured TMTs, as these TMTs likely exhibit greater behavioral integration. Such integration can support TMT members in mitigating role conflicts and leveraging the role enhancement benefits connected to performing multiple roles during and after leave. These results contribute to the literature and offer valuable practical insights." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The gendered division of housework in times of Covid-19: the role of essential worker status and work location (2026)
Zitatform
Piolatto, Matteo, Marija Bashevska, Olga Leshchenko, Chantal Remery & Susanne Strauss (2026): The gendered division of housework in times of Covid-19: the role of essential worker status and work location. In: Journal of family studies, Jg. 32, H. 3, S. 339-358. DOI:10.1080/13229400.2025.2526468
Abstract
"The question whether the measures taken to curb the spread of Covid-19 exacerbated or reduced gender inequality with respect to the division of housework and childcare has initiated a large number of studies. This study adds to this field by investigating the role of an until now underexposed yet important element in the literature on the pandemic, which is the assignment of an essential worker status for one or two partners of a couple. Drawing on resource theory, we formulate different hypotheses on how an essential worker status impacts the gendered division of housework during the early phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in dual-earner opposite-sex couples. In addition, as essential work was often, but not always done on-site, we use the time availability perspective to formulate hypotheses on how the impact of being assigned the essential work status interacts with remote-work. We investigate these research questions in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands using household longitudinal panel data from UKHLS and COGIS-LISS, applying panel fixed effects models. The results suggest that having an essential occupation is a resource for women but not men to renegotiate the division of housework. This is particularly the case when one or both partners can work from home." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
How Public Investments in Childcare Mitigate Childbirth Effects on Employment Transitions by Skill Level in Europe: Special Issue: Bringing the Ecological and the Social Together in the Green Transition: A Multilevel Analysis (2026)
Zitatform
Plavgo, Ilze (2026): How Public Investments in Childcare Mitigate Childbirth Effects on Employment Transitions by Skill Level in Europe. Special Issue: Bringing the Ecological and the Social Together in the Green Transition: A Multilevel Analysis. In: Regulation and governance, Jg. 20, H. 2, S. 635-651. DOI:10.1111/rego.70116
Abstract
"Public investments in childcare generally improve parents' employment chances, yet evidence on their magnitude, cross-national variation, and social distribution remains mixed. This study examines how public spending on early childhood education and care (ECEC) moderates post-childbirth employment attachment across Europe. Using longitudinal EU-SILC microdata for 26 countries (2003–2020) combined with social policy indicators, multilevel mixed-effects models trace within-person employment changes before and 2 years after childbirth by gender, skill level, and country context. Results show that childbirth substantially reduces women's employment probabilities, but higher public ECEC investment mitigates this decline by supporting re-entry into employment. At above-average spending levels, employment returns to pre-childbirth levels within 2 years, whereas recovery remains limited where ECEC investments are lower. The pattern holds across skill groups and welfare regimes, except in the Nordic countries, where low-skilled mothers benefit more. Findings underscore the role of ECEC investment in sustaining labor force participation in Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Wage Premium or Wage Penalty? Gendered Long-term Wage Development of Family Caregivers (2026)
Zitatform
Raiber, Klara, Katja Möhring, Mark Visser & Ellen Verbakel (2026): Wage Premium or Wage Penalty? Gendered Long-term Wage Development of Family Caregivers. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 40, H. 1, S. 3-25. DOI:10.1177/09500170251348856
Abstract
"This study theoretically and empirically assesses the gendered relationship between family caregiving (excluding regular childcare) and wage development in the Netherlands applying conflict theory, which predicts a wage penalty due to difficulties in combining paid work and care, and enrichment theory, which expects a wage premium because of acquired skills and recognition. Growth curve modelling was used to analyse hourly wages from 19 years of register data combined with information on caregiving episodes, retrospectively collected among a Dutch sample (N = 2659 respondents and 324,940 months). Caregiving was distinguished by have-never cared, current caregivers and past caregivers, as well as by duration and intensity. The results showed that men’s wage growth slightly improved after caregiving stopped and when they provided intensive care. Women’s wage development was slightly weaker after caregiving stopped and when they provided intensive care. Thus, only men benefit from caregiving in terms of their wage growth, not women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Fostering Skills and Relief: Positive Spillover Effects Between Unpaid Caregiving and Paid Work (2026)
Zitatform
Raiber, Klara (2026): Fostering Skills and Relief: Positive Spillover Effects Between Unpaid Caregiving and Paid Work. In: Journal of Aging & Social Policy, Jg. 38, H. 4, S. 754-770. DOI:10.1080/08959420.2025.2561425
Abstract
"With the expected rise in unpaid caregiving, many caregivers will have to combine care with employment. While most research finds negative spillovers between caregiving and employment, it is crucial to understand the factors under which caregiving has positive spillover effects. Analyzing Dutch retrospective data from the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social science (3,543 caregiving situations of 2,042 caregivers), this study examined how factors from the work environment and the caregiving situation are related to two positive spillovers, namely learned skills from caregiving for paid work and employment being a relief from caregiving. Results from multilevel models show that a working environment with high flexibility compared to no flexibility was related to more skill learning and relief. Further, we found that more understanding of managers and colleagues was related to learning skills, while managers and colleagues knowing about caregiving was linked to feeling relief. More diverse caregiving tasks were associated with more skills learned for paid work and more relief felt. These findings can guide state or firm-based policies to not only prevent negative but also foster positive spillovers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
When Gender Trumps Skills: Employment Trajectories of Austrian Parents After Their First Birth (2026)
Zitatform
Reiter, Claudia & Sonja Spitzer (2026): When Gender Trumps Skills: Employment Trajectories of Austrian Parents After Their First Birth. In: Comparative Population Studies, Jg. 51, S. 1-22. DOI:10.12765/cpos-2026-01
Abstract
"Increasing the labour market participation of mothers is often seen as a solution to address skill shortages in countries with long child-related career interruptions. However, little is known about the leave-taking behaviour of parents with higher and lower skill levels. This study addresses that gap by examining how employment trajectories after the transition to parenthood vary by gender and skill level in Austria, which has one of the longest parental leave entitlements globally. We focus on understanding whether skill differences shape leave-taking and labour market re-entry, and to what extent they explain the large and persistent gender gaps in parental employment. We use a new dataset that, for the first time, links Austrian administrative data on births and daily labour market activities (2009-2022) with tested skill scores from the OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Our main sample includes 5,130 Austrians born between 1942 and 1997. We focus on tested numeracy skills, which are strongly associated with employment and wages, offer a more precise measure of work-relevant skills than formal education, and account for important parts of the gender pay gap. Adopting a life-course perspective, we observe labour market patterns between the ages 20 and 70, and examine the three years before and after the birth of a first child to capture short- and medium-term dynamics. We find clear differences by skill level. Higher-skilled women tend to return to employment more quickly and are more likely to use educational leave to extend their parental leave. Lower-skilled mothers, by contrast, experience longer periods out of the labour force. Among fathers, skill gradients are present as well: higher-skilled men are more likely to take parental leave than their lower-skilled counterparts, though leave uptake remains very low in absolute terms. However, gender trumps skills. On average, mothers take 416 days of paid parental leave following the birth of their first child, while fathers take just nine days. Most mothers remain at home well beyond the period of paid leave, and part-time work is common upon return – regardless of skill level. Our findings suggest that policies aimed at increasing female labour market participation − particularly among the skilled − face structural constraints. In a context of demographic ageing and rising skill shortages, improving access to early childcare and encouraging more balanced leave-taking may be necessary to reduce gender gaps and make better use of existing skills across the workforce." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Nonstandard work schedules and work-life balance in dual-earner households: The role of parenthood (2026)
Zitatform
Resendez, Sarahi, Jianghong Li & Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2026): Nonstandard work schedules and work-life balance in dual-earner households: The role of parenthood. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 38, S. 1-22. DOI:10.20377/jfr-1259
Abstract
"Objective: This study examines whether nonstandard work schedules (NSWS) improve or hinder work-life balance (WLB) for parents and non-parents in dual-earner households. Background: Previous research shows that NSWS can negatively affect workers' well-being. However, less is known about whether and to what extent these effects differ between parents and childless individuals. Method: Using data from the first wave of the German Family Demography Panel Study (FReDA), linear regression models are applied to assess whether the effect of NSWS on WLB is influenced by family circumstances. Results: Parenthood is generally associated with lower WLB. However, the negative association between NSWS and WLB is more pronounced among childless workers. Notably, mothers of young children (ages 0-5), as well as fathers of school-aged children (ages 6-12) working NSWS report higher WLB than their childless counterparts. Conclusion: Parents with NSWS in dual-earner households do not necessarily experience lower WLB than childless workers. In some cases, NSWS may even help parents better reconcile work and family responsibilities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Gendered Attitudes or Structural Barriers? Men Front Line Workers' Perspectives on What Keeps Men out of Paid Care Work in Australia (2026)
Zitatform
Roberts, Steven, Elsie Foeken, Karla Elliott & Riikka Prattes (2026): Gendered Attitudes or Structural Barriers? Men Front Line Workers' Perspectives on What Keeps Men out of Paid Care Work in Australia. In: The British journal of sociology, S. 1-11. DOI:10.1111/1468-4446.70086
Abstract
"Gender segregation in paid care work offers a critical lens for understanding how gender inequality is reproduced in contemporary societies. While much research has explained men's absence from paid care through cultural and identity-based accounts, less has been done to examine the structural mechanisms that sustain the feminisation of care. This paper addresses that gap by analysing men's experiences in frontline aged and disability care in Australia. Drawing on qualitative data from 41 men across 13 focus groups and 32 follow-up interviews, we find that anxiety around maintaining masculine identities is not a significant barrier. Gender operates primarily through structural and informational processes that make care work insecure, undervalued, and poorly understood. These challenges reflect the gendered devaluation of feminised labour, but are not primarily rooted in masculine identity conflict. We suggest that greater analytic attention to structural barriers is needed, alongside existing insights into identity and agency." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Being the boss at work and at home – Self-employment and conflicts between partners (2026)
Zitatform
Schneck, Stefan (2026): Being the boss at work and at home – Self-employment and conflicts between partners. In: Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Jg. 121. DOI:10.1016/j.socec.2025.102506
Abstract
"The self-employed are their own bosses and make independent decisions on how to achieve their goals. We ask if the self-employed not only make professional decisions but also interfere in the private decisions of their partners. Using unique German panel data designed to study intimate relationships, we show a positive relationship between complaints about interference and the self-employment status of partners, which indicates that the self-employed dominate in business and private life. Estimates explaining the frequency of disagreements and quarrels between partners reveal that tensions are more commonly reported by respondents with self-employed partners. Moreover, we show that partners exercising control over their partners are a major source of conflicts at home. In this regard, the significant effect of having a self-employed partner can be attributed to the degree of governance the partner exercises over the respondent’s life. This study is the first to suggest that decision autonomy in the work sphere is associated with dominance in private life, harming relationships." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 The Author.Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Estimating the effect of working from home on parents' division of childcare and housework: A new panel IV approach (2026)
Zitatform
Schüller, Simone (2026): Estimating the effect of working from home on parents' division of childcare and housework: A new panel IV approach. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 99. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2026.102866
Abstract
"This study investigates whether (and how) working from home (WFH) affects the gender division of parental unpaid labor. I use the recent COVID-19 pandemic that brought an unanticipated yet lasting shift to WFH, combined with a measure of occupational WFH feasibility (Alipour et al. 2023) as a quasi-experiment to employ an instrumental variable (IV) approach and estimate causal effects. I use unique longitudinal data from the “Growing up in Germany” (AID:A) panel study, which administered a pre-pandemicwave in 2019, and a post-pandemic wave in 2023. AID:A contains rich information on mothers’ and fathers’ time use for work, commuting, childcare, and housework. I find that the most robust effects emerge for frequent (at least once a week) paternal WFH on parental division of housework: families in which fathers start weekly WFH in the period 2019 to 2023—due to their occupational WFH capacity in combination with the pandemic WFH-boost—experience a significant decrease in the maternal share of housework. Interestingly, this shift appears to be mainly driven by a reduction of maternal time use for housework (combined with an increase in her work hours) and less by an increase in paternal time use for housework, suggesting cross-parent effects of WFH. Further analysis confirms changes in paternal gender role attitudes as a plausible mechanism." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Cross-cohort employment differences among U.S. mothers of young children: The role of nonparental childcare (2026)
Shattuck, Rachel M.;Zitatform
Shattuck, Rachel M. (2026): Cross-cohort employment differences among U.S. mothers of young children: The role of nonparental childcare. In: Social science research, Jg. 133. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2025.103261
Abstract
"Following increased mothers' employment since the later 20th century, the majority of U.S. mothers now experience employment with children under age three. Most use nonparental childcare (NPC) while employed. NPC can include care provided in childcare centers and preschools, as well as by nannies, babysitters and relatives, and in family childcare homes. Changes since the 1980s to care costs and availability, labor market conditions, family structures, and public assistance policies may result in differences in the predictive relationship between NPC use and employment among late-20th vs. early-21st century mothers. I use National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979) (“Baby-Boomers”) and 1997 (“Millennials”) data to compare monthly likelihood of full-time employment, part-time employment, and employment exit—and how NPC use differently affects these—among mothers of children under three. A hybrid model including within-person and between-person components compares women to themselves at different points in time when they are employed either with or without NPC. NPC use increases full-time employment, and employment stability, for mothers in both cohorts. However, Millennials use NPC more than Baby-Boomers. Furthermore, NPC increases the likelihood of maintaining full-time employment, and transitioning from part-time to full-time employment, by larger magnitudes for Millennials than for Baby-Boomers. Supplementary descriptive analyses show changed care types, increased care costs, and increased nonstandard employment, all of which may contribute to this cross-cohort difference. Results demonstrate how NPC plays a key role in supporting employment within individual women's life courses, and how these effects may differ across different social and historical settings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Life-Cycle Effects of Public Childcare: Evidence on Children and Their Parents (2026)
Silliman, Mikko; Mäkinen, Juuso;Zitatform
Silliman, Mikko & Juuso Mäkinen (2026): Life-Cycle Effects of Public Childcare: Evidence on Children and Their Parents. (CESifo working paper 12372), München, 102 S.
Abstract
"This paper provides large-scale evidence linking the economic effects of childcare programs to social skills measured in adulthood. We examine Finland's first national public childcare program, and document that it increased parental labor supply - through retirement - while reducing the intergenerational persistence of income. Critically, we leverage Finnish Defence Forces data on the near population of males to show that effects on children's adult income are underlied by lasting effects on social skills. Further, we show that life-cycle cost-effectiveness estimates based on the assumption of constant effects after typical observation windows can considerably overestimate the net costs of public childcare." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Mapping the Determinants of Female Employment: Labour Market Areas and Spatial Spillovers (2026)
Zitatform
Simón-Albert, Raquel, Matías Mayor, José M. Casado-Díaz & Hipólito Simón (2026): Mapping the Determinants of Female Employment: Labour Market Areas and Spatial Spillovers. In: Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, Jg. 117, H. 2, S. 250-270. DOI:10.1111/tesg.70057
Abstract
"This paper examines the territorial determinants of female employment rates using labour market areas (LMAs) – functional units based on commuting patterns – to mitigate the Modifiable AreaUnit Problem (MAUP). Drawing on detailed Spanish census microdata and spatial econometrics, we find that male unemployment negatively affects female employment through a discouraged worker effect , whereas higher shares of part-time jobs, medium household income, and a greater proportion of immigrant women from emerging countries are associated with better female employment outcomes. Certain aspects of local economic structure, particularly a larger service sector, positively influence women’s employment. Comparing spatial and non-spatial specifications shows only modest gains, consistent with limited cross-area spillovers when the analysis relies on functionally defined units. Overall, the evidence supports LMAs as appropriate territorial units and highlights the importance of care-related and income-based interventions, together with efforts to broaden sectoral opportunities for women and to improve data availability at the functional-area level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Policy configurations and the elasticity of gendered patterns of paid and unpaid work-evidence from comparative conjoint analyses (2026)
Zitatform
Stadelmann-Steffen, Isabelle, Dominique Oehrli & Meret Lütolf (2026): Policy configurations and the elasticity of gendered patterns of paid and unpaid work-evidence from comparative conjoint analyses. In: Social forces. DOI:10.1093/sf/soag038
Abstract
"A considerable number of scholars have discussed the role that family policies play in shaping the gendered division of labor within households. The majority of this research has focused on childcare and parental leave policies and their relationship with maternal employment. In this article, we adopt a more holistic approach to study gender-specific pathways toward more equalized work patterns by investigating the role of various family policy conditions, both past and future, on paid and unpaid work patterns among men and women. We present novel survey data from five countries, including conjoint analyses, which enables us to consider that the elasticity of households to move toward more equal divisions of work may be contingent on the gender regime in which individuals live as well as on their desire and opportunity to change. Our results demonstrate that the elasticity to change strongly depends on current work patterns both at the household and the country level. Moreover, long parental leave for men and financial incentives have the strongest potential to trigger changes in work intentions. Nevertheless, significant discrepancies in the impact of policy measures between countries, as well as between women and men, can be discerned." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Take it or leave it: how maternal leave duration affects societal perceptions of women in Germany and Israel (2026)
Zitatform
Stertz, Anna M. & Ronit Waismel-Manor (2026): Take it or leave it: how maternal leave duration affects societal perceptions of women in Germany and Israel. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-9. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2026.2621075
Abstract
"This research investigates how the duration of parental leave taken by working mothers influences ‘ideal worker’ and ‘good mother’ norms perceptions in two distinct cultural and policy contexts: Germany (N\u2009=\u2009262; main activity: 65.9% university students, 26.7% paid work) and Israel (N\u2009=\u2009504; main activity: 100% university students, of whom 79.0% also engaged in paid work). In experimental online studies, participants evaluated a fictitious mother based on a vignette. Leave length was experimentally manipulated across four conditions: 4, 6, 12, and 36 months (the latter only in Germany). The results yielded similar trends in both countries. Mothers are more likely to be viewed as better parents if they take the longest leave offered, and as better workers if they take short periods of leave. Nevertheless, our results show that in both countries, the decision to take parental leave of any given length does not substantially harm evaluations toward working mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Ceilings: Gender Inequality in Hours, Earnings and Health (2026)
Strazdins, Lyndall ; Doan, Tinh ; Leach, Liana ; Pollmann-Schult, Matthias ; Kaiser, Till ; Li, Jianghong ;Zitatform
Strazdins, Lyndall, Tinh Doan, Liana Leach, Jianghong Li, Matthias Pollmann-Schult & Till Kaiser (2026): Ceilings: Gender Inequality in Hours, Earnings and Health. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 182. DOI:10.1007/s11205-026-03820-0
Abstract
"One reason gender earning gaps persist is that well-paid jobs presume long work hours, and these are incompatible with family care. Long hours also harm health, and the risks may increase for workers with care and domestic workloads, adding a gendered health penalty. Using representative, longitudinal data from Australia and Germany (144,430–153,659 observations for HILDA and SOEP surveys, respectively, 2002–2022), we model the interconnections between hours and health among men and women aged 25–64 years. Our models include hours spent on care and domestic work, to estimate the points at which working more gains earnings but incurs risks for health and how this may differ by gender. The results show that average health ceilings mirror standard work hours (38 to 43 h per week) in both countries, but this masks wide gender differences. Gender stratified models reveal that long work hours are relatively less harmful for men compared to women, and as work hours lengthen, the penalty to women’s physical and mental health increases. We further show how these differential health harms are linked to extra time spent on family care and domestic work. Our study extends theory on how gender inequality is maintained in organisations and in the labour market, and the need for policy action to limit long work hours." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Division of Labor Over the Life Course: Structural or Symbolic Pressures? (2026)
Zitatform
Tabor, Jaclyn A., Cassie Mead, Jamie Oslawski-Lopez & Rebecca K. Grady (2026): Division of Labor Over the Life Course: Structural or Symbolic Pressures? In: Journal of Marriage and Family, Jg. 88, H. 2, S. 425-441. DOI:10.1111/jomf.70023
Abstract
"Objective: Do structural or symbolic pressures, as measured by work-family transitions, play a greater role in determining the gendered division of household labor? Background: Scholars explain gendered divisions of household labor using structural (i.e., resource allocation; time availability) and symbolic explanations (i.e., gender as a social institution; doing gender). We concurrently tested these theories through the lens of major work–family transitions, which have been shown to impact household labor in previous research. Method: We used two nationally representative, longitudinal datasets: The Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) to understand how work-family transitions impact male and female partners' household labor hours, as well as the proportion of housework performed by female partners. To do this, we used fixed effects models (PSID), lagged dependent variable models, and first difference change score models (NSFH). Results: We found that parenthood and work transitions, transitions that exert structural pressure, were associated with female partners' proportion of housework. On the other hand, the transition from cohabitation to marriage and relationship tenure, measures that are more symbolic in nature, did not significantly impact male or female partners' household labor. Conclusion: Overall, the structural pressures underlying work-family transitions appear to play a larger role in determining the division of household labor as compared to symbolic pressures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Attitudes Towards Work: The Care Arrangements of Couples With Preschool‐Aged Children—A European Comparison (2026)
Třísková, Hana; Szalma, Ivett;Zitatform
Třísková, Hana & Ivett Szalma (2026): Attitudes Towards Work: The Care Arrangements of Couples With Preschool‐Aged Children—A European Comparison. In: Social Inclusion, Jg. 14. DOI:10.17645/si.11016
Abstract
"Societal expectations in Europe regarding the roles of mothers and fathers in the work and caregiving spheres continue to evolve unevenly. While the labour market participation of women has become widespread, shifts in terms of normative support for paternal caregiving have progressed more slowly, which reflects a persistent cultural lag in the gender revolution process. This study examines public attitudes towards work–care arrangements and preferences for organising work and childcare for preschool-aged children employing data from the 2022 International Social Survey Programme conducted across 16 European countries. Applying multinomial logistic regression models, the analysis compares support for three ideal-typical arrangements—traditional, semi-traditional, and egalitarian—across a range of sociodemographic, attitudinal, and contextual dimensions. The findings reveal pronounced regional patterns: Egalitarian preferences dominate in Nordic countries, semi-traditional models are more prevalent in parts of Central and Southern Europe, and traditional orientations remain dominant in post-socialist contexts. Gender ideology, religiosity, and education comprise the central predictors of support for egalitarian arrangements, while attitudes towards the distribution of paid parental leave further differentiate national profiles. Overall, the results demonstrate that public preferences are shaped by the interplay of cultural norms and institutional conditions, which underscores the tension between advancing structural change and enduring normative expectations that surround parental roles in Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Fertility and Family Leave Policies in Germany: Optimal Policy Design in a Dynamic Framework (2026)
Zitatform
Wang, Hanna (2026): Fertility and Family Leave Policies in Germany: Optimal Policy Design in a Dynamic Framework. (RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2026,29), Berlin, 71 S.
Abstract
"I develop and estimate a life-cycle discrete-choice model of fertility and female labor supply to study the optimal design of a range of child-related policies. First, I examine two German reforms that introduced wage-contingent parental leave payments and expanded access to low-cost public childcare. I find that both reforms raised completed fertility, with the parental leave reform having a particularly strong impact on highly educated women. Second, I solve for a budget-neutral optimal policy portfolio that maximizes either aggregate welfare or fertility, while ensuring that welfare and fertility do not decline for any education group. I consider four prominent child subsidies as well as the degree of tax jointness. My results show that optimal policy has the potential to increase welfare by 0.5% or fertility by 5.7%. While the solutions are qualitatively similar, they prioritize different policy instruments depending on the specific objective being targeted." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Aspekt zurücksetzen
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen
- Erwerbsbeteiligung von Männern
- Kinderbetreuung und Pflege
- Berufliche Geschlechtersegregation
- Berufsrückkehr – Wiedereinstieg in den Arbeitsmarkt
- Dual-Career-Couples
- Work-Life
- Geschlechtsspezifische Lohnunterschiede
- Familienpolitische Rahmenbedingungen
- Aktive/aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- Arbeitslosigkeit und passive Arbeitsmarktpolitik
- geografischer Bezug