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Parenthood and the Career Ladder: Evidence from Academia

Author

Listed:
  • Sofie Cairo
  • Ria Ivandić
  • Anne Sophie Lassen
  • Valentina Tartari

Abstract

Persistent gender gaps in the labor market are largely driven by the underrepresentation of women at the top of most professions. We study how parenthood shapes gender gaps in academic careers using population-wide administrative and survey data linked to productivity and promotion records. Parenthood marks a sharp divergence in academic careers: one in three women exit academia following motherhood. Men also experience a decline in academic employment after fatherhood, but the effects are substantially smaller. For mothers, childbirth leads to a persistent decline in both tenure attainment and research output, while men’s trajectories on these margins are unaffected by parenthood. The child penalty on tenure is driven primarily by women’s higher exit rates from academia. Gender differences in career aspirations do not explain these findings; instead, childcare and mobility constraints play a central role. Child penalties are exacerbated in highly competitive environments and environments without senior female role models.

Suggested Citation

  • Sofie Cairo & Ria Ivandić & Anne Sophie Lassen & Valentina Tartari, 2026. "Parenthood and the Career Ladder: Evidence from Academia," Berlin School of Economics Discussion Papers 0092, Berlin School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdp:dpaper:0092
    DOI: 10.48462/opus4-6164
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • 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
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations

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