Abstract

We investigate the child penalty among women inventors in Germany, using innovative data that links patent records to social security information. Our analysis reveals a 50 percent long-term earnings gap for female inventors after having children compared to women inventors without children. This gap is attributable to declines in labor force participation and wage rates. Additionally, there is a 40 percent long-term penalty in overall patent citations. Leveraging a 2007 parental leave reform as a natural experiment, we find positive effects on earnings and wages starting two years post-childbirth. This is linked to a reduced likelihood of women leaving the workforce and an increased probability of returning to the same employer after maternity leave.