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The Effects of Longer School Days on Mothers' Labor Force Participation

Author

Listed:
  • Berthelon, Matias

    (Universidad Adolfo Ibañez)

  • Kruger, Diana

    (Universidad Adolfo Ibañez)

  • Oyarzún, Melanie

    (Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile)

Abstract

Lack of adequate childcare is a main reason women cite for not participating in the labor force. We investigate the effect of a reform that lengthened school schedules from half to full days in Chile – essentially providing zero-cost childcare – on different maternal labor participation outcomes. We identify the effect of the policy from its implementation across municipalities over time and rule out alternative explanations, finding evidence of positive and important effects on participation and more permanent attachment to the labor force. Additionally, we also find results are driven by the provision of full day schooling in 1st and 2nd grades.

Suggested Citation

  • Berthelon, Matias & Kruger, Diana & Oyarzún, Melanie, 2015. "The Effects of Longer School Days on Mothers' Labor Force Participation," IZA Discussion Papers 9212, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp9212
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Brewer, Mike & Cattan, Sarah & Crawford, Claire & Rabe, Birgitta, 2022. "Does more free childcare help parents work more?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Francesca Caselli & Francesco Grigoli & Damiano Sandri & Antonio Spilimbergo, 2022. "Mobility Under the COVID-19 Pandemic: Asymmetric Effects Across Gender and Age," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 70(1), pages 105-138, March.
    3. Ezgi Caki, 2022. "The Plight of Female Employment in Germany under School-Related COVID-19 Control Measures," The CoronaNet Researchers Working Paper Series 04/2022, CoronaNet Research Project, revised Jun 2022.
    4. Selina Gangl & Martin Huber, 2021. "From homemakers to breadwinners? How mandatory kindergarten affects maternal labour market outcomes," Papers 2111.14524, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2022.
    5. Nikki Shure, "undated". "School Hours and Maternal Labour Supply: A Natural Experiment from Germany," DoQSS Working Papers 16-13, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    6. Ludovica Gambaro & Jan Marcus & Frauke Peter, 2019. "School entry, afternoon care, and mothers’ labour supply," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 769-803, September.
    7. Matías Berthelon & Diana I. Kruger & Juan P. Eberhard, 2017. "Estimating the effects of teen motherhood in Chile: a family fixed effects approach," Estudios de Economia, University of Chile, Department of Economics, vol. 44(1 Year 20), pages 5-32, June.
    8. Gangl, Selina & Huber, Martin, 2021. "From homemakers to breadwinners? How mandatory kindergarten affects maternal labour market attachment," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203636, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association, revised 2021.
    9. Brewer, Mike & Cattan, Sarah & Crawford, Claire & Rabe, Birgitta, 2016. "Free Childcare and Parents' Labour Supply: Is More Better?," IZA Discussion Papers 10415, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Leonardo Bonilla-Mejía & Eduard F. Martínez-González, 2019. "Educación escolar para la inclusión y la transformación social," Chapters, in: Jaime Bonet & Diana Ricciuli-Marin (ed.), Casa Grande Caribe, chapter 1, pages 1-50, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    11. Janina Nemitz, 2015. "The effect of all-day primary school programs on maternal labor supply," ECON - Working Papers 213, Department of Economics - University of Zurich.
    12. Berthelon, Matias & Kruger, Diana & Lauer, Catalina & Tiberti, Luca & Zamora, Carlos, 2020. "Longer School Schedules, Childcare and the Quality of Mothers’ Employment: Evidence from School Reform in Chile," GLO Discussion Paper Series 525, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    13. Francisco Parro G. & Loreto Reyes R., 2019. "Economic growth and the Chilean labor market," Journal Economía Chilena (The Chilean Economy), Central Bank of Chile, vol. 22(2), pages 070-095, August.
    14. Nemitz, Janina, 2016. "The Effect of All-Day Primary School Programs on Maternal Labor Supply," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145528, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    15. Andrew Taeho Kim & Matt Erickson & Yurong Zhang & ChangHwan Kim, 2022. "Who is the “She” in the Pandemic “She-Cession”? Variation in COVID-19 Labor Market Outcomes by Gender and Family Status," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 1325-1358, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    female labor participation; primary education; full day schooling; education reform; Chile;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J4 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets
    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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