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Early child care and maternal employment: empirical evidence from Germany

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  • Zimmert, Franziska

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of an expansion of subsidized early child care on maternal labor market outcomes. It contributes to the literature by analyzing, apart from the employment rate and agreed working hours, preferred working hours. Semi-parametric difference-in-differences estimation based on survey data from the German Micro Census results in positive effects on the employment rate, as well as on agreed and preferred working hours. As agreed and preferred working hours adjust in line with each other, expansion of early child care can tap labour market potentials beyond those of currently underemployed mothers. Moreover, conditional effects show that especially better educated and non-single mothers respond to the reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Zimmert, Franziska, 2019. "Early child care and maternal employment: empirical evidence from Germany," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203528, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc19:203528
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lembcke, Franziska & Nöh, Lukas & Schwarz, Milena, 2021. "Anreizwirkungen des deutschen Steuer- und Transfersystems auf das Erwerbsangebot von Zweitverdienenden," Working Papers 06/2021, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung.
    2. Kreyenfeld, Michaela & Zinn, Sabine, 2021. "Coronavirus and care: How the coronavirus crisis affected fathers' involvement in Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 44(4), pages 99-124.
    3. Michaela Kreyenfeld & Sabine Zinn & Theresa Entringer & Jan Goebel & Markus M. Grabka & Daniel Graeber & Martin Kroh & Hannes Kröger & Simon Kühne & Stefan Liebig & Carsten Schröder & Jürgen Schupp & , 2020. "Coronavirus & Care: How the Coronavirus Crisis Affected Fathers’ Involvement in Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1096, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    4. Zimmert, Franziska & Zimmert, Michael, 2020. "Paid parental leave and maternal reemployment: Do part-time subsidies help or harm?," Economics Working Paper Series 2002, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science.
    5. Warning, Anja, 2020. "Rekrutierungssituation im Beruf der Erzieherin/des Erziehers: Engpässe werden immer stärker sichtbar (Recruitment situation in the profession of educators: Labor shortages become more visible)," IAB-Kurzbericht 202002, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    6. Michaela Kreyenfeld & Sabine Zinn, 2021. "Coronavirus and care: How the coronavirus crisis affected fathers' involvement in Germany," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(4), pages 99-124.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    early child care; maternal labor supply; semi-parametric difference-in-differences; subsidized child care; working hour preferences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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