Does the Gap in Family-Friendly Policies Drive the Family Gap?

University of Aarhus Department of Economics Working Paper No. 2003-1

41 Pages Posted: 21 Apr 2003

See all articles by Helena Skyt Nielsen

Helena Skyt Nielsen

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Marianne Simonsen

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics

Mette Verner

Aarhus University - Centre for Research in Social Integration and Marginalization (CIM)

Abstract

A segregation of the labour market into a family-friendly and a non-family friendly sector has the effect that women self-select into the sectors depending on institutional constraints, preferences for family-friendly working conditions and expected wage differences. We find that neglecting the sector dimension tends to understate the effect of birth-related interruptions in both sectors. The combined effect of a large depreciation effect and no recovery means that females in the non-family friendly sector (e.g. private sector) are punished severely after childbirth. In the family friendly sector (e.g. public sector), we find complete catching up.

Keywords: Fertility, family gap, career interruptions, wages, public vs. private sector

JEL Classification: J13, J22, J33, J45

Suggested Citation

Nielsen, Helena Skyt and Simonsen, Marianne and Verner, Mette, Does the Gap in Family-Friendly Policies Drive the Family Gap?. University of Aarhus Department of Economics Working Paper No. 2003-1, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=368121 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.368121

Helena Skyt Nielsen (Contact Author)

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics ( email )

Fuglesangs Alle 4
Aarhus, 8210
Denmark

HOME PAGE: http://person.au.dk/hnielsen@econ.au.dk

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Marianne Simonsen

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics ( email )

Building 326
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
+45 8942 1599 (Phone)

Mette Verner

Aarhus University - Centre for Research in Social Integration and Marginalization (CIM) ( email )

DK-8210 Aarhus V
Denmark
+45 8948 6416 (Phone)
+45 8615 5175 (Fax)