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Women as Caregivers: Full-time Schools and Grandmothers’ Labor Supply

Author

Listed:
  • Francisco Cabrera-Herández

    (Universidad de Monterrey and Center for Institutional Studies)

  • María Padilla-Romo

    (Department of Economics, University of Tennessee)

Abstract

Caregiving responsibilities and the lack of family-friendly policies often prevent women from participating in the labor market. This study analyzes the effects of an implicit childcare subsidy—through longer school days—on the labor supply of grandmothers in the context of Mexico’s full-time schools program. Since 2007, this program has gradually increased the school day’s length by three-and-a-half hours in public elementary schools. We document how the availability of full-time schools in a municipality affects grandmothers’ decisions to participate in the labor market. These effects are estimated by using data collected through a rotating panel design and within-individual variation in full-time schools’ availability. Childcare subsidies through longer school days increase grandmothers’ labor force participation and employment, especially in the informal market.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco Cabrera-Herández & María Padilla-Romo, 2021. "Women as Caregivers: Full-time Schools and Grandmothers’ Labor Supply," Working Papers 2021-03, University of Tennessee, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ten:wpaper:2021-03
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    File URL: http://web.utk.edu/~jhollad3/RePEc/2021-03.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Childcare; Full-time Schools; Childrearing; Grandmothers; Labor Supply;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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