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A search interpretation of the family gap

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  • Zhang, Yahong

Abstract

This paper proposes a general equilibrium search model to investigate what is known as the family gap: wage differentials between mothers and non-mothers. In the human capital literature a substantial amount of the family gap is left unexplained after controlling for schooling and experience. This paper suggests that differences in labor market behavior between mothers and non-mothers are an important factor in explaining the family gap. For college graduates, estimation results show that employed mothers search 70% less than non-mothers and more than 50% of the family gap can be explained by the labor market behavior differences between mothers and non-mothers. Such differences, however, can not explain the family gap for high school graduates.

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  • Zhang, Yahong, 2012. "A search interpretation of the family gap," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 186-197.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:19:y:2012:i:2:p:186-197
    DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2011.09.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mari, Gabriele, 2020. "Working-time flexibility is (not the same) for all: Evidence from a right-to-request reform," SocArXiv bnp9r, Center for Open Science.
    2. Ewa Cukrowska-Torzewska & Anna Lovasz, 2016. "Are children driving the gender wage gap?," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 24(2), pages 259-297, April.
    3. Audra J. Bowlus & Masashi Miyairi & Chris Robinson, 2016. "Immigrant job search assimilation in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 49(1), pages 5-51, February.
    4. Anna Lovasz & Ewa Cukrowska, 2014. "Are children driving the gender wage gap? Comparative evidence from Poland and Hungary," Budapest Working Papers on the Labour Market 1404, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.

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    Keywords

    Search models; Family gap;

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