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The Wage Penalty for Motherhood in Spain (2009-2017): The Role of the Male Partner’s Job Characteristic

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Listed:
  • Ainhoa Herrarte

    (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)

  • Paloma Urcelay

    (Banco de España)

Abstract

Exploiting microdata from the Living Conditions Survey, and applying the coarsened exact matching algorithm to select a treatment and a control group of comparable women, we analyse the motherhood wage penalty in Spain from 2009 to 2017, with special attention to the effect of the male partner’s job characteristics. We find that mothers of children 0-3 years old suffered a penalty in their hourly wages of around 4.2%, which significantly increased when their partner was self-employed. Moreover, we only detect a wage penalty for high-educated women and for those who work in medium and large firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Ainhoa Herrarte & Paloma Urcelay, 2022. "The Wage Penalty for Motherhood in Spain (2009-2017): The Role of the Male Partner’s Job Characteristic," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 241(2), pages 27-57, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:hpe:journl:y:2022:v:241:i:2:p:27-57
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Motherhood wage penalty; Motherhood wage gap; Work-family balance policies; Gender equality; Motherhood protection.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J78 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Public Policy (including comparable worth)

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