IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/jns/jbstat/v244y2024i5-6p495-512n1011.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pregnancy in the Paint and the Pitch: Does Giving Birth Impact Performance?

Author

Listed:
  • Harris Jill S.

    (Department of the Air Force, United States Air Force Academy, HQ/USAFA DFEG, 2354 Fairchild Drive Suite 6K-110, USAF Academy, CO 80840-6238, USA)

  • Berri David J.

    (2312 Southern Utah University , Cedar City, USA)

Abstract

We examine the impact of giving birth on athletic performance of players in the Women’s National Basketball Association. Using data from media reports and National Womens Basketball Players Association records we specify a productivity model and use a differences-in-means approach to investigate. We do not find any impact of giving birth on player performance in the sample. In the wake of the Gunnarsdottir maternity leave decision against Club Lyon, this research could help inform league policies concerning maternity leave and also contribute to the broader conversation about gender discrimination in the workplace based on perceptions of productivity before and after giving birth.

Suggested Citation

  • Harris Jill S. & Berri David J., 2024. "Pregnancy in the Paint and the Pitch: Does Giving Birth Impact Performance?," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 244(5-6), pages 495-512.
    • Handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:244:y:2024:i:5-6:p:495-512:n:1011
    DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2024-0054
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/jbnst-2024-0054
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/jbnst-2024-0054?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Keywords

    worker productivity; pregnancy; elite athlete performance; motherhood penalty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:jns:jbstat:v:244:y:2024:i:5-6:p:495-512:n:1011. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.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.