Zitatform

Stoller, Sarah E. (2023): Inventing the Working Parent. Work, Gender and Feminism in Neoliberal Britain. Cambridge: MIT Press, 285 S. DOI:10.7551/mitpress/14918.001.0001

Abstract

"The first historical examination of working parenthood in the late twentieth century - and how the concepts of “family-friendly” work culture and “work–life balance” came to be. Since the 1980s, families across the developed West have lived through a revolution on a scale unprecedented since industrialization. With more mothers than ever before in paid work and the rise of the middle-class, dual-income household, we have entered a new era in the history of everyday life: the era of the working parent. In Inventing the Working Parent, Sarah E. Stoller charts the politics that shaped the creation of the phenomenon of working parenthood in Britain as it arose out of a new culture of work. Stoller begins with the first sustained efforts by feminists to mobilize politically on behalf of working parents in the late 1970s and concludes in the context of an emerging national political agenda for working families with the rise of New Labour in the 1990s. She explores how and why the notion of working parenthood emerged as a powerful new political claim and identity category and addresses how feminists used the concept of working parenthood to advocate for new organizational policies and practices. Lastly, Stoller shows how neoliberal capitalism under Margaret Thatcher and subsequent New Labour governments made a family's ability to survive on one income nearly impossible - with significant consequences for individual experience, the gendered division of labor, and intimate life." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © MIT Press) ((en))

Zitatform

Abendroth, Anja-Kristin (2022): Transitions to parenthood, flexible working and time-based work-to-family conflicts: A gendered life course and organisational change perspective. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 1033-1055. DOI:10.20377/jfr-730

Abstract

"Objective: This study investigates how flexitime and flexiplace moderate the consequences of transitions to parenthood for time-based work-to-family conflicts for women and men, and whether the normalisation of their use in organisations additionally contributes to reducing work-to-family conflicts. Background: Although flexible working has been described as a resource for better aligning demands in the domains of work and family, the findings of previous - mainly cross-sectional – research on its consequences for work–family conflict are inconsistent. Method: Individual fixed effects analyses were conducted using linked employer-employee panel data for 1,973 partnered men and 1575 partnered women in 132 large work organisations in Germany. Results: Time-based work-to-family conflicts after transition to parenthood increased for men but decreased for women. This can be explained by women reducing their working hours. However, work-to-family conflicts remained rather stable despite of the transition to parenthood among women who used flexitime. This can partly be explained by their weaker work-to-family conflicts already before the transition as well as to adjustments in work investments being less common among them. There is some evidence that the normalisation of flexitime and flexiplace in the organisation is associated with fewer work-to-family conflicts among women and men. Conclusion: Flexitime seems to be not an additional but an alternative resource to decrease the likelihood of more frequent time-based work-to-family conflicts after transition to parenthood among women. The normalization of flexible working depicts organizational change towards more family-friendliness." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Adams, Ayhan & Katrin Golsch (2022): Employed parents' reactions to work-family conflicts: Adaptive strategies of scaling back in Germany. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 1101-1125. DOI:10.20377/jfr-712

Abstract

"Objective: This study investigates the extent to which employed mothers and fathers scale back on working hours or job pressures in response to work-to-family conflicts (WFC). Background: Drawing on the concept of adaptive family strategies, it is assumed that WFC is an antecedent to a reduction in work demands. Considering partners’ gender ideology net of other resources and characteristics, we can expect to see gender differences in the adoption of this strategy. Relatively little research has been conducted on associations among WFC, gender ideology, gender, and work-related coping strategies. Method: We use six waves of the German Family Panel (pairfam, release 11.0), covering the survey years 2012-2019, to examine the effect of WFC and gender ideology on employed mothers’ and fathers’ work-related coping strategies (N=791 mothers and N=1292 fathers). OLS regression is used to estimate the effect of WFC at and gender ideology on changes in job pressure and working hours between and. Results: Parents who experience WFC are more likely to reduce their job pressure and less likely to scale back on working hours. Gender differences in the reaction between mothers and fathers on WFC only occur in connection with traditional gender ideology. Conclusion: Scaling back seems not to be a commonly used strategy to react to WFC." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bernhardt, Janine & Claudia Recksiedler (2022): Work-to-family conflict and parenting practices: Examining the role of working from home among lone and partnered working mothers. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 1072-1100. DOI:10.20377/jfr-709

Abstract

"Objective: This study investigates associations between work-to-family conflict and parenting practices among lone and partnered working mothers and the role of working from home as a potential resource gain or drain for acting empathetically and supportively towards their children. Background: Emerging evidence suggests that work-to-family conflict reduces responsive parenting practices, yet prior studies have rarely examined disparities by family structure. Although working from home has recently gained in importance in the workforce, there is still little research on its implications for the relationship between work-to-family conflict and the quality of parenting practices. If working from home is not used to do supplemental work during overtime hours, it may free up mothers’ time and emotional resources. In turn, this may either buffer the harmful impact of work-to-family conflict on parenting practices or indirectly enhance the quality of parenting practices by reducing work-to-family conflict. This could be particularly beneficial for lone mothers, who experience more role and time strain. Method: Analyses were based on 1,723 working mothers and their reports on 2,820 schoolchildren drawn from a German probability sample that was collected in 2019 (i.e., before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic). Using OLS regression models, we first examined whether work-to-family conflict was associated with four dimensions of verbal parenting practices (i.e., responsive and hostile communication, responsive decision-making, and school involvement at home). Second, we conducted moderation analyses to test differences by working from home (within contract hours and for supplemental work) and family structure with two-way and three-way interactions. Third, we performed mediation analyses to examine the indirect effect of working from home on each parenting dimension mediated by work-to-family conflict. Results: Higher levels of work-to-family conflict were associated with less responsive and more hostile parenting practices. The moderation analyses did not indicate a buffering effect of working from home. Instead, the mediation analyses showed that compared to mothers who worked from home within their contract hours, those who did not work from home or who did supplemental work from home tended to report less empathic parenting practices transmitted through higher levels of work-to-family conflict. Results showed no significant associations for mothers’ school involvement at home. Furthermore, no major differences emerged between lone and partnered mothers. Conclusion: Our pre-pandemic results challenge the buffering hypothesis and suggest that working from home can be either a resource gain or drain for the mother-child relationship regardless of family structure, but depending on mothers’ opportunity to work from home within the scope of contract hours." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Canaan, Serena (2022): Parental leave, household specialization and children's well-being. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 75. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2022.102127

Abstract

"Many countries offer new parents long periods of paid leave. Proponents argue that parental leave programs can reduce gender gaps in the labor market and promote children's well-being. In this paper, I show that lengthy leaves can instead work against these intended goals. Using a regression discontinuity design, I find that a 3-year expansion of paid leave in France increases household specialization by inducing mothers to exit the labor force and fathers to raise their work hours. The leave further harms children's verbal development." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2022 Elsevier) ((en))

Zitatform

Danzer, Natalia, Martin Halla, Nicole Schneeweis & Martina Zweimüller (2022): Parental leave, (in)formal childcare and long-term child outcomes. In: The Journal of Human Resources, Jg. 57, H. 6, S. 1826-1884. DOI:10.3368/jhr.58.2.0619-10257R1

Abstract

"We evaluate the effect of an Austrian parental leave extension from the child’s first to its second birthday on long-term child outcomes. Exploiting a sharp birthday cutoff-based discontinuity in the eligibility for extended leave, we find that longer parental leave improves on average child health outcomes, but has no effect on the child’s labor market outcomes. When accounting for the counterfactual mode of care, we find significant gains in all outcomes for children for whom the reform most likely induced a replacement of informal childcare with maternal care. This highlights the importance of the counterfactual scenario in such evaluations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System) ((en))

Zitatform

Dean, Liz, Brendan Churchill & Leah Ruppanner (2022): The mental load: building a deeper theoretical understanding of how cognitive and emotional labor overload women and mothers. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 13-29. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2021.2002813

Abstract

"The mental load has received considerable public attention especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we synthesize existing literature to argue that the mental load is a combination of cognitive and emotional labor and it is this combination that makes the mental work a load. We argue that the way the mental load operates within families and society has three characteristics: (1) it is invisible in that it is enacted internally yet results in a range of unpaid, physical labor; (2) it is boundaryless in that can be brought to work and into leisure and sleep time; and (3) enduring in that it is never complete because it is tied to caring for loved ones which is constant. We also offer some future directions for addressing the problems associated with the mental load. First, questions measuring the mental load should be standard in health and social surveys to better understand the problem. Second, employers should adopt better policies that allow for greater work-life reconciliation to lessen the mental load. Third, caregiving should be vital infrastructure developed and invested in by governments to reduce competing work and care demands that accelerate the deleterious consequences of the mental load." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Goldacker, Kristina, Janna Wilhelm, Susanne Wirag, Pia Dahl, Tanja Riotte & Pia S. Schober (2022): Shared leave, happier parent couples? Parental leave and relationship satisfaction in Germany. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 32, H. 2, S. 197-211. DOI:10.1177/09589287211056187

Abstract

"This study investigates how parental leave policies and uptake may impact heterosexual couples’ relationship satisfaction. It focuses on Germany as an example of a country with a history of familialist policies and long maternal leaves that has recently undergone a significant policy shift. We extend the literature by examining the effects of maternal and paternal leave duration on both partners’ relationship satisfaction while distinguishing between the length of solo, joint and overall leave. The study applies two different methods on data from the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam). First, the study applies fixed-effects regression models (n = 1046 couples) to investigate the impact of parental leave duration on the change in mothers’ and fathers’ satisfaction over the child’s early years. Second, drawing on exogenous variation as a result of the parental leave reform of 2007, which shortened paid leave for mothers and incentivised fathers’ leave take-up, difference-in-difference analyses (n = 1403 couples) analyse reform effects on relationship satisfaction of parents with 3-year-old children. The fixed-effects models indicated a consistent negative impact of maternal – especially solo – leave duration on both mothers’ and fathers’ relationship satisfaction. No significant effects of paternal leave length were found. The difference-in-difference approach revealed a positive reform effect on mothers’ relationship satisfaction. In combination, these results suggest that the reduction in maternal leave as part of the reform has had a greater impact on couples’ relationship quality than the relatively short duration of leave taken by most fathers after the introduction of the individual leave entitlement." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

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

Abstract

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

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

Abstract

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

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Langner, Laura (2022): Desperate Housewives and Happy Working Mothers: Are Parent-Couples with Equal Income More Satisfied throughout Parenthood? A Dyadic Longitudinal Study. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 36, H. 1, S. 80-100. DOI:10.1177/0950017020971548

Abstract

"Are parent-couples with equal income more satisfied as their children grow up, than those who prioritize the father’s career (specialize)? For the first time, 384 German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study couples were categorized into life-course coupled earnings types, by tracing how earnings were divided within couples between the ages of 1 to 15 of their youngest child. Multivariate, multilevel analysis showed that, unlike mothers pursuing an (eventually) equal earnings division, mothers in an (eventually) specialized arrangement experienced a strong decline in life satisfaction. Hence, particularly high-status mothers (having invested heavily into their career) were eventually up to two life satisfaction points less satisfied if they prioritized their partner’s earnings, than those who shared earnings equally with their partner. Paternal life satisfaction was not significantly different between patterns of earnings (in)equality. For most couples, earnings equality led to a win-win situation: mothers’ life satisfaction was higher than for specialized mothers without negatively affecting paternal satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Latshaw, Beth A. & Deniz Yucel (2022): Work-family conflict and partners' agreement on fertility preferences among dual-earner couples: Does women's employment status matter? In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 1151-1174. DOI:10.20377/jfr-689

Abstract

"Objective: This study tests the effects of work-family conflict, in both directions, on partners' agreement on fertility preferences among dual-earner couples, as well as whether this relationship varies by women's employment status. Background: Few studies have examined the relationship between work-family conflict and fertility preferences. Given the high percentages of women working part-time in Germany, it is important to investigate the role working women’s employment status plays to further understand this relationship. Method: Using data from 716 dual-earner couples in Wave 10 of the German Family Panel (pairfam), we use dyadic data analysis to test whether work-family conflict impacts one’s own ("actor effects") and/or one’s partner’s ("partner effects") reports of agreement on fertility preferences. We also run multi-group analyses to compare whether these effects vary in "full-time dual-earner" versus "modernized male breadwinner" couples. Results: There are significant actor effects for family-to-work conflict in both types of couples, and for work-to-family conflict in modernized male breadwinner couples only. Partner effects for family-to-work conflict exist only among modernized male breadwinner couples. While there are no gender differences in actor or partner effects, results suggest differences in the partner effect (for family-to-work conflict only) between these two couple types. Conclusion: These findings indicate that work-family conflict is associated with greater partner disagreement on fertility preferences and highlight the differential impact incompatible work and family responsibilities have on fertility decisions when women work full-time versus part-time." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lott, Yvonne, Dietmar Hobler, Svenja Pfahl & Eugen Unrau (2022): Stand der Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern in Deutschland. (WSI-Report 72), Düsseldorf, 49 S.

Abstract

"Wie ist der Stand der Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern auf dem Arbeitsmarkt in Deutschland? Und wie hat sich der Stand der Gleichstellung entwickelt? Anhand zentraler Indikatoren auf Basis des WSI GenderDatenPortals (www.wsi.de/ genderdatenportal) liefert der vorliegende Report eine knappe und zusammenfassende Übersicht über den aktuellen Stand der Geschlechtergleichstellung in Deutschland mit einem Fokus auf den Arbeitsmarkt. Die Analysen zeigen, dass sich positive Trends vor allem bei der Erwerbsbeteiligung und den Einkommen von Frauen fortgesetzt haben. Bei der Mitbestimmung und den Arbeitszeiten baut sich Geschlechterungleichheit zwar ab, aber nur sehr langsam und in sehr kleinen Schritten. Bei der Aufteilung der Kinderbetreuung und der vertikalen Segregation des Arbeitsmarktes stagniert die Geschlechterungleichheit jedoch auf hohem Niveau." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Reimann, Mareike & Martin Diewald (2022): Good mental health despite work-family conflict? The within-domain and cross-domain buffering potentials of family and work resources. In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 1126-1150. DOI:10.20377/jfr-726

Abstract

"Objective: This article investigates whether within-domain and cross-domain buffering by family and work resources can help mitigate the negative mental health effects of work-to-family conflicts (WFC) and family-to-work conflicts (FWC). Background: Most literature on the work–life interface stresses the need to maintain employees’ health and well-being by preventing the emergence of work–family conflicts. Since such conflicts tend to be an unavoidable concomitant of role expansion, we aim to put forward the debate on the conditions that might prevent their negative health consequences instead. Method: Fixed-effects linear regression analyses were applied to a sample of 4,920 employees in a three-wave employer–employee panel study in Germany. Using interaction analyses, we tested within-domain and cross-domain buffering of family (social support and relative bargaining power within partnerships) and work (job resources, support from direct supervisors or co-workers, formal and informal organizational support) resources in the relationship between strain-based and time-based WFC and FWC and mental health (SF-12). Results: Family resources and work resources somewhat mitigated the health risks of WFC and FWC. Overall, within-domain resources were more effective than cross-domain ones. Conclusion: It is important to consider resources in both the family and the work domains to determine the most effective ways of preventing the negative mental health consequences of work–family conflicts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schulz, Florian & Mareike Reimann (2022): Parents' experiences of work-family conflict. Does is matter if coworkers have children? In: Journal of Family Research, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 1056-1071. DOI:10.20377/jfr-780

Abstract

"Objective: To examine how the perception of work-family conflict relates to the share of parents in women's and men's direct coworking environments. Background: The idea of relational demography posits that individuals' relative positions within their coworking environments have an impact on their wellbeing. Depending on women's and men's parenthood status and the corresponding (dis-)similarity compared to their colleagues, this idea was applied to the perception of work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts. Method: Time-based and strain-based work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts were analyzed by gender and parenthood with random effects panel regression models using longitudinal data from the LEEP-B3-survey, a large-scale linked employer-employee survey from Germany (2012/2013 and 2014/2015; 2,228 women and 2,656 men). The composition of the respondents’ working groups was included as a moderating variable. Results: Mothers and fathers of children aged 0-11 years reported higher work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts than parents of older children and childless women and men. For mothers of children aged 0-11 years, a higher share of parents in their working groups was associated with less time-based family-to-work conflict. For fathers of children aged 0-11 years, the same associations were found for overall work-to-family conflict, strain-based work-to-family conflict as well as for all dimensions of family-to-work conflict. Conclusion: Similarity between the team members regarding parenthood seemed to reduce mothers' and fathers' perceptions of work-family conflict beyond several other characteristics of the individuals and the workplaces." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zoch, Gundula, Ann-Christin Bächmann & Basha Vicari (2022): Reduced well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic - The role of working conditions. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 29, H. 6, S. 1969-1990., 2021-11-03. DOI:10.1111/gwao.12777

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic has had diverse impacts on the employment conditions and family responsibilities of men and women. Thus, women and men were exposed to very different roles and associated challenges, which may have affected their well-being very differently. Using data from the National Educational Panel Study and its supplementary COVID-19 web survey for Germany (May–June 2020), we investigate gender differences in the relationship between working conditions and within-changes in subjective well-being. We systematically consider the household context by distinguishing between adults with and without younger children in the household. The results from multivariate change-score regressions reveal a decline in all respondents' life satisfaction, particularly among women with and without younger children. However, the greater reduction in women's well-being cannot be linked to systematic differences in working conditions throughout the pandemic. Kitagawa–Oaxaca–Blinder counterfactual decompositions confirm this conclusion. Further analyses suggest that women's caregiving role, societal concerns, and greater loneliness partly explain the remaining gender differences in altered satisfaction. From a general perspective, our results suggest important gender differences in social life and psychological distress at the beginning of the pandemic, which are likely to become more pronounced as the crisis has unfolded." (Author's abstract, © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) ((en))

Abstract

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

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Aarntzen, Lianne, Tanja van der Lippe, Elianne van Steenbergen & Belle Derks (2021): How individual gender role beliefs, organizational gender norms, and national gender norms predict parents' work-Family guilt in Europe. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 24, H. 2, S. 120-142. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2020.1816901

Abstract

"The guilt that mothers feel about the time and energy that they invest in work instead of their family is often proposed to be an important reason for why mothers ‘opt-out’ the career track. We sought to understand if mothers indeed experience more work-family guilt than fathers and how this relates to both their own gender role beliefs and organizational gender norms across nine European countries. Analyses draw on the European Social Workforce Survey, with data from 2619 working parents nested in 110 organizations in 9 European countries. Results showed that when fathers and mothers work more than a full-time week (a) fathers with traditional gender role beliefs felt less guilty, and (b) especially mothers working in an organization with low support for the parent role of working fathers felt guilty. Explorative analyses showed no effect of national gender norms on gender differences in guilt. Our results are beneficial for organizations and policy makers by showing that guilt in working mothers can be reduced by developing egalitarian organizational norms, in which there is support for the parent role of mothers and fathers, potentially helping mothers to focus on their careers alongside their families." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Achdut, Netta & Haya Stier (2021): The Role of Monetary and Non-Monetary Job Quality Components in Determining Welfare Exit. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 50, H. 1, S. 79-103. DOI:10.1017/S0047279419000977

Abstract

"Contemporary welfare policies in many Western countries limit means tested public assistance for the long-term unemployed and spur rapid movement into the labor market. Studies on welfare use determinants that traced these policy changes focused on individuals’ characteristics, economic condition, and various policy components. Little attention was paid to welfare recipients’ job quality or its role in determining welfare exit. The present study examined the contribution of various job quality aspects, beyond wages, to welfare exit among welfare recipients in Israel. We considered the use of workers’ own skills and occupation, existence of standard employment contract (versus temporary), irregular work schedule, and application of mandatory and non-mandatory non-wage compensation attributes. The data derive from a national panel survey of 2,800 single-mother recipients of welfare in 2003. The results indicate the importance of these job components for welfare exit, above and beyond wages. Implications for policy are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Balleer, Almut, Monika Merz & Tamás K. Papp (2021): Couples' Time-Use and Aggregate Labor Market Outcomes. (IZA discussion paper 14468), Bonn, 61 S.

Abstract

"We present a model of the time-allocation decision of spouses in order to study the role of heterogeneity in preferences and wages for couples' labor supply. Spouses differ in their tastes for market consumption and non-market goods and activities, and also in their offered or earned wages. They interact in their choices of market hours, homework, and leisure. We estimate the model for married or cohabiting couples in the 2001/02 wave of the German Time-Use Survey using Bayesian techniques. We generate gender-specific own- and cross-wage elasticities of market hours in the cross-section. Elasticities are significantly larger if the wage shock is asymmetric across partners, not symmetric. Aggregating preferences and wages by gender and comparing outcomes for a representative couple with those from heterogenous couples yields a discrepancy between alternative aggregate wage-elasticities. Its size varies with the type of wage shock and the distribution of spouses across the preference-wage space." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))