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Mothers Working during Preschool Years and Child Skills: Does Income Compensate?

Author

Listed:
  • Cheti Nicoletti
  • Kjell G. Salvanes
  • Emma Tominey

Abstract

Increasing mother’s labor supply during a child’s preschool years may reduce time investments, yielding a negative direct effect on midchildhood and teenage outcomes. But as mother’s work hours increase, income will rise. Can income compensate for the negative effect of hours? Our mediation analysis exploits exogenous variation in both mother’s hours and family income. Results suggest a negative, insignificant direct effect from increasing mother’s hours on child test scores. However, the positive mediating effect of income creates a positive total effect on test scores (26% of a standard deviation) for a 10-hour increase in mother’s weekly hours in preschool years.

Suggested Citation

  • Cheti Nicoletti & Kjell G. Salvanes & Emma Tominey, 2023. "Mothers Working during Preschool Years and Child Skills: Does Income Compensate?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 41(2), pages 389-429.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/719688
    DOI: 10.1086/719688
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    Cited by:

    1. Boneva, Teodora & Golin, Marta & Kaufmann, Katja Maria & Rauh, Christopher, 2022. "Beliefs about Maternal Labor Supply," IZA Discussion Papers 15788, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Moroni, Gloria & Nicoletti, Cheti & Salvanes, Kjell Gunnar & Tominey, Emma, 2025. "Gender equality through marriage," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 20/2025, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    3. Filippo Da Re, "undated". "Choosing a High School Track: The Role of Classmates Parental Occupations," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0320, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    4. Meekes, Jordy & van Lent, Max, 2025. "The Impact of Neighbour, Colleague, and Family Peers on Parental Labour Supply," IZA Discussion Papers 18148, IZA Network @ LISER.
    5. Sarah Cattan & Kjell Salvanes & Emma Tominey, 2022. "First Generation Elite: The Role of School Networks," Working Papers 2022-028, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    6. Alena Bičáková & Klára Kalíšková, 2024. "Is longer maternal care always beneficial? The impact of a 4-year paid parental leave," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(2), pages 1-45, June.
    7. Isha Gupta, 2024. "Younger children and mothers’ labour supply in rural India: Evidence from fertility stopping behaviour," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 41(3), pages 1-46, September.
    8. Hélène Le Forner, 2021. "Formation of Children’s Cognitive and Socio-Emotional Skills: Is All Parental Time Equal?," AMSE Working Papers 2117, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    9. Claire Crawford & Laura Outhwaite, 2023. "Why should we invest in Early Childhood Education and Care?," CEPEO Briefing Note Series 24, UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, revised Mar 2023.
    10. Isha Gupta, 2020. "Fertility And Mothers’ Labour Force Participation In Rural India," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0267, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    11. Katherine Michelmore, 2025. "Tax credits and child outcomes: lessons from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(1), pages 65-90, March.
    12. Mike Brewer & Thang Dang & Emma Tominey, 2023. "Welfare reform: Employment, mental health and intrahousehold insurance," CEPEO Working Paper Series 23-06, UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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