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The duration of family-related employment interruptions : the role of occupational characteristics

Author

Listed:
  • Bächmann, Ann-Christin

    (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany ; Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsverläufe (LIfBi), Bamberg)

  • Gatermann, Dörthe

    (Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung gGmbH (WZB))

Abstract

"After childbirth, women often interrupt their careers. These interruptions are associated with negative consequences for later employment, which are greatly influenced by the duration of the interruption. We analyse the influence of occupational characteristics on this duration, as occupations are crucially important for career trajectories in Germany. Specifically focusing on occupational sex segregation, the occupational wage level and the share of part-time workers in occupations, we test two competing hypotheses: on the one hand, lower wages in female-dominated occupations should lead to longer employment interruptions due to lower opportunity costs. On the other hand, a higher ratio of part-time workers should lead to shorter interruptions due to better reconciliation between family and work. In addition, we analyse whether the proportion of women in a given occupation influences the duration of employment interruptions. We test these hypotheses using data from the National Educational Panel Study (starting cohort 6), combined with occupational information from the Sample of Integrated Labour Market Biographies and the German Microcensus. We focus on family-related employment interruptions after the birth of the first child between 1992 and 2010. The results of our discrete event history models indicate that higher wages lead to shorter breaks, while the part-time rate and the proportion of women in an occupation have no significant effects." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Suggested Citation

  • Bächmann, Ann-Christin & Gatermann, Dörthe, 2017. "The duration of family-related employment interruptions : the role of occupational characteristics," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 50(1), pages 143-160.
    • Handle: RePEc:iab:iabjlr:v:50:i:1:p:143-160
    DOI: 10.1007/s12651-017-0226-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Becker, Gary S, 1985. "Human Capital, Effort, and the Sexual Division of Labor," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 33-58, January.
    2. C. Katharina Spiess & Jan Ondrich & Qing Yang, 1996. "Barefoot and in a German kitchen: Federal parental leave and benefit policy and the return to work after childbirth in Germany," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 9(3), pages 247-266.
    3. Jane Waldfogel, 1998. "Understanding the "Family Gap" in Pay for Women with Children," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(1), pages 137-156, Winter.
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    Cited by:

    1. Althaber, Agnieszka & Leuze, Kathrin, 2020. "Der Einfluss der beruflichen Geschlechtersegregation und beruflicher Arbeitszeitarrangements auf Teilzeitarbeit: Gleiche Übergangsbedingungen für Frauen und Männer? [The Influence of Occupational S," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 72(S1), pages 317-349.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bundesrepublik Deutschland ; Westdeutschland ; Stichprobe der Integrierten Arbeitsmarktbiografien (SIAB) ; Beruf und Familie ; Berufsgruppe ; Elternzeit ; Dauer ; Determinanten ; Erwerbsunterbrechung ; Erwerbsunterbrechung ; Erziehungsurlaub ; Frauenberufe ; geschlechtsspezifischer Arbeitsmarkt ; Lohnhöhe ; Männerberufe ; Mischberufe ; Mütter ; Nationales Bildungspanel ; Quote ; Teilzeitarbeitnehmer ; 1992-2010;
    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
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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