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Measuring the Effects of Childbearing on Labor Market Outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Joyce P. Jacobsen

    (Economics Department, Wesleyan University)

  • James Wishart Pearce III

    (Stanford University)

  • Joshua L. Rosenbloom

    (University of Kansas and NBER)

Abstract

Decisions about childbearing and market work are significantly interrelated. Although there are many estimates of the effects of fertility on labor supply, few of them have adequately addressed the problems of simultaneity inherent in these choices. In our research we use exogenous variations in fertility due to twin births to measure the impact of an unplanned child on labor supply and earnings. We contrast these results to those for closely-spaced births (one year or less). We consider effects for married and unmarried mothers separately, and for married fathers. We discuss the implications of these measurements for estimating the magnitude of the rise in female labor supply and earnings as birthrates decline.

Suggested Citation

  • Joyce P. Jacobsen & James Wishart Pearce III & Joshua L. Rosenbloom, 2005. "Measuring the Effects of Childbearing on Labor Market Outcomes," Wesleyan Economics Working Papers 2005-002, Wesleyan University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:wes:weswpa:2005-002
    as

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    File URL: http://repec.wesleyan.edu/pdf/jjacobsen/2005002_jacobsen.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kenneth I. Wolpin & Mark R. Rosenzweig, 2000. "Natural "Natural Experiments" in Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(4), pages 827-874, December.
    2. Mroz, Thomas A, 1987. "The Sensitivity of an Empirical Model of Married Women's Hours of Work to Economic and Statistical Assumptions," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(4), pages 765-799, July.
    3. Joyce P. Jacobsen & James Wishart Pearce III & Joshua L. Rosenbloom, 1999. "The Effects of Childbearing on Married Women's Labor Supply and Earnings: Using Twin Births as a Natural Experiment," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 34(3), pages 449-474.
    4. Bronars, Stephen G & Grogger, Jeff, 1994. "The Economic Consequences of Unwed Motherhood: Using Twin Births as a Natural Experiment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(5), pages 1141-1156, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes & Jean Kimmel, 2005. "“The Motherhood Wage Gap for Women in the United States: The Importance of College and Fertility Delay”," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 17-48, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fertility; labor supply; earnings;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General

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