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Causal effects of subsidized career breaks

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The paper uses a quasi-experimental situation to analyze the effects of career interruptions on future labor market outcomes. Data are generated by a Swedish program that granted career breaks to applicants until funds where exhausted. Comparing approved and declined (due to lack of funds) applications allows us to derive “pure” effects of interrupted career that are not confounded by selection or omitted variables. The results show no significant effects on working hours but give some support for increased retirement probabilities among the oldest workers. The average wage effect is negative and in the order of 3 percent 1–2 years after the break. Further evidence suggests that one reason for the large negative wage effects may be related to changes in jobs and tasks.

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  • Nordström Skans, Oskar & Liljeberg, Linus, 2005. "Causal effects of subsidized career breaks," Working Paper Series 2005:17, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:ifauwp:2005_017
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    Cited by:

    1. Bertil Holmlund & Qian Liu & Oskar Nordström Skans, 2008. "Mind the gap? Estimating the effects of postponing higher education," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 60(4), pages 683-710, October.
    2. Mårten Palme & Ingemar Svensson, 2010. "Incentives to Retire, the Employment of the Old, and the Employment of the Young in Sweden," NBER Chapters, in: Social Security Programs and Retirement around the World: The Relationship to Youth Employment, pages 295-318, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Hägglund, Pathric, 2006. "Are there pre-programme effects of Swedish active labour market policies? Evidence from three randomised experiments," Working Paper Series 2006:2, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    4. Larsson, Laura & Lindqvist, Linus & Nordström Skans, Oskar, 2005. "Stepping-stones or dead-ends? An analysis of Swedish replacement contracts," Working Paper Series 2005:18, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    5. Federico Podestà, 2014. "The Impact of the 'Free Choice' Work/Family Reforms of France and Belgium. A Synthetic Control Analysis," FBK-IRVAPP Working Papers 2014-06, Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (IRVAPP), Bruno Kessler Foundation.
    6. Laura Hartman & Linus Liljeberg & Oskar Skans, 2010. "Stepping-stones, dead-ends, or both? An analysis of Swedish replacement contracts," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 645-668, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Career interruptions; labor supply; wages; natural experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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