IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cog/socinc/v9y2021i2p238-249.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Measuring the Generosity of Parental Leave Policies

Author

Listed:
  • Adeline Otto

    (Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Belgium)

  • Alzbeta Bártová

    (Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Belgium)

  • Wim Van Lancker

    (Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Belgium)

Abstract

In order to investigate and compare welfare states or specific welfare programmes, scientists, opinion‐makers and politicians rely on indicators. As many of the concepts or objects studied are somewhat abstract, these indicators can often only be approximations. In comparative welfare‐state research, scholars have suggested several approximating indicators to quantitatively measure and compare the generosity of public welfare provision, with a special focus on cash benefits. These indicators include social spending, social rights and benefit receipt. We present these indicators systematically, and critically discuss how suitable they are for comparing the generosity of parenting leave policies in developed welfare states. Subsequently, we illustrate how the operationalisation of leave generosity by means of different indicators can lead to different rankings, interpretations and qualifications of countries. Hence, indicator choices have to be considered carefully and suitably justified, depending on the actual research interest.

Suggested Citation

  • Adeline Otto & Alzbeta Bártová & Wim Van Lancker, 2021. "Measuring the Generosity of Parental Leave Policies," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(2), pages 238-249.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v:9:y:2021:i:2:p:238-249
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/3943
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tine Hufkens & Tim Goedemé & Katrin Gasior & Chrysa Leventi & Kostas Manios & Olga Rastrigina & Pasquale Recchia & Holly Sutherland & Natascha Van Mechelen & Gerlinde Verbist, 2019. "The Hypothetical Household Tool (HHoT) in EUROMOD: a new instrument for comparative research on tax-benefit policies in Europe," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 12(3), pages 68-85.
    2. Kittel, Bernhard & Obinger, Herbert, 2002. "Political parties, institutions, and the dynamics of social expenditure in times of austerity," MPIfG Discussion Paper 02/1, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    3. Popova, Daria & Avram, Silvia, 2020. "Do welfare state taxes and transfers reduce gender income inequality? Evidence from eight European countries," EUROMOD Working Papers EM9/20, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    4. Kenneth Nelson & Daniel Fredriksson & Tomas Korpi & Walter Korpi & Joakim Palme & Ola Sjöberg, 2020. "The Social Policy Indicators (SPIN) database," International Journal of Social Welfare, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 285-289, July.
    5. Johan De Deken & Jochen Clasen, 2013. "Benefit dependency: The pros and cons of using “caseload” data for national and international comparisons," International Social Security Review, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 66(2), pages 53-78, April.
    6. Chiara Pronzato, 2009. "Return to work after childbirth: does parental leave matter in Europe?," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 341-360, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sonja Blum & Ivana Dobrotić, 2021. "The Inclusiveness of Social Rights: The Case of Leave Policies," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(2), pages 222-226.
    2. Wim Van Lancker & Hannah Zagel, 2022. "Family policy research in Europe," Chapters, in: Kenneth Nelson & Rense Nieuwenhuis & Mara A. Yerkes (ed.), Social Policy in Changing European Societies, chapter 3, pages 34-49, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Allan Puur & Sanan Abdullayev & Martin Klesment & Mark Gortfelder, 2023. "Parental Leave and Fertility: Individual-Level Responses in the Tempo and Quantum of Second and Third Births," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 39(1), pages 1-28, December.
    4. Alzbeta Bartova & Adeline Otto & Wim Van Lancker, 2022. "Making Parental Leave Policies Work for Single Mothers: Lessons from Europe," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 702(1), pages 129-148, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Natálie Švarcová & Petr Švarc, 2009. "The Financial Impact of Government Policies on Families with Children in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia," Czech Economic Review, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, vol. 3(1), pages 048-068, March.
    2. Ylenia Brilli & Daniela Boca & Chiara Pronzato, 2016. "Does child care availability play a role in maternal employment and children’s development? Evidence from Italy," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 27-51, March.
    3. Paetzold, Jörg, 2012. "The Convergence of Welfare State Indicators in Europe: Evidence from Panel Data," Working Papers in Economics 2012-4, University of Salzburg.
    4. Julie L. Hotchkiss & M. Melinda Pitts & Mary Beth Walker, 2017. "Impact of first birth career interruption on earnings: evidence from administrative data," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(35), pages 3509-3522, July.
    5. Niklas Potrafke, 2012. "Political cycles and economic performance in OECD countries: empirical evidence from 1951–2006," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 155-179, January.
    6. Christian Bjørnskov & Niklas Potrafke, 2012. "Political Ideology and Economic Freedom Across Canadian Provinces," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 38(2), pages 143-166.
    7. Massimiliano Bratti & Tommaso Frattini & Francesco Scervini, 2018. "Grandparental availability for child care and maternal labor force participation: pension reform evidence from Italy," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 31(4), pages 1239-1277, October.
    8. Julia Bredtmann & Jochen Kluve & Sandra Schaffner, 2013. "Mothers' Transitions into the Labor Market under Two Political Systems: Comparing East and West Germany before Reunification," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 133(3), pages 375-408.
    9. Yusuf Emre Akgunduz & Janneke Plantenga, 2013. "Labour market effects of parental leave in Europe," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 37(4), pages 845-862.
    10. Pia S. Schober, 2012. "Parental Leave Policies and Child Care Time in Couples after Childbirth," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 434, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    11. Charles L. Baum II & Christopher J. Ruhm, 2016. "The Effects of Paid Family Leave in California on Labor Market Outcomes," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(2), pages 333-356, April.
    12. repec:zbw:rwirep:0481 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Thomas Biegert & David Brady & Lena Hipp, 2022. "Cross-National Variation in the Relationship between Welfare Generosity and Single Mother Employment," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 702(1), pages 37-54, July.
    14. Tibor Paul Hanappi & Sandra Müllbacher, 2016. "Tax incentives and family labor supply in Austria," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 961-987, December.
    15. Irene DINGELDEY & Jean‐Yves GERLITZ, 2022. "Not just black and white, but different shades of grey: Legal segmentation and its effect on labour market segmentation in Europe," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 161(4), pages 593-613, December.
    16. Ludger Schuknecht & Holger Zemanek, 2021. "Public expenditures and the risk of social dominance," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 188(1), pages 95-120, July.
    17. Bove, Vincenzo & Efthyvoulou, Georgios & Navas, Antonio, 2017. "Political cycles in public expenditure: butter vs guns," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 582-604.
    18. Niklas Potrafke, 2009. "Did globalization restrict partisan politics? An empirical evaluation of social expenditures in a panel of OECD countries," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 140(1), pages 105-124, July.
    19. Ylenia Brilli & Daniela Boca & Chiara Pronzato, 2016. "Does child care availability play a role in maternal employment and children’s development? Evidence from Italy," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 27-51, March.
    20. Katharina Wesolowski & Sunnee Billingsley & Gerda Neyer, 2020. "Disentangling the complexity of family policies: SPIN data with an application to Lithuania and Sweden, 1995–2015," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(42), pages 1235-1262.
    21. Penne, Tess & Goedemé, Tim, 2021. "Can low-income households afford a healthy diet? Insufficient income as a driver of food insecurity in Europe," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v:9:y:2021:i:2:p:238-249. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: António Vieira (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.