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Parenthood and the Gender Gap in Pay

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  • Nikolay Angelov
  • Per Johansson
  • Erica Lindahl

Abstract

We compare the income and wage trajectories of women to those of their male partners before and after parenthood. Focusing on the within-couple gap allows us to control for both observed and unobserved attributes of the spouse and to estimate both short- and long-term effects of entering parenthood. We find that 15 years after the first child has been born, the male-female gender gaps in income and wages have increased by 32 and 10 percentage points, respectively. In line with a collective labor supply model, the magnitude of these effects depends on counterfactual relative incomes or wages within the family.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikolay Angelov & Per Johansson & Erica Lindahl, 2016. "Parenthood and the Gender Gap in Pay," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(3), pages 545-579.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/684851
    DOI: 10.1086/684851
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