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Birth Timing and Spacing: Implications for Parental Leave Dynamics and Child Penalties

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  • Adams-Prassl, Abigail
  • Jensen, Mathias Fjællegaard
  • Petrongolo, Barbara

Abstract

We use rich population-level administrative data from Denmark to develop new facts about the relationship between the timing and spacing of births and labor market outcomes. We show that there is substantial heterogeneity in the age at first birth across maternal skill levels. The spacing of pregnancies is also tighter on average for highly skilled mothers, resulting in them experiencing higher levels of fertility and time on parental leave in the years immediately after first birth. We estimate event studies by skill level and find that much of the child penalties in earnings and participation in the 5 years following first birth can be explained by incapacitation effects from parental leave around subsequent births, especially for the highly educated.

Suggested Citation

  • Adams-Prassl, Abigail & Jensen, Mathias Fjællegaard & Petrongolo, Barbara, 2024. "Birth Timing and Spacing: Implications for Parental Leave Dynamics and Child Penalties," CEPR Discussion Papers 19324, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:19324
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Carnicelli, Lauro & Morando, Greta, 2025. "The Unequal Motherhood Penalty: Maternal Preferences and Education," IZA Discussion Papers 18140, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Dmitry Arkhangelsky & Kazuharu Yanagimoto & Tom Zohar, 2025. "Using Event Studies as an Outcome in Causal Analysis," Working Papers wp2025_2503, CEMFI.
    4. Taiyo FUKAI & Ayako KONDO, 2025. "Parental Earnings Trajectories around Childbirth in Japan: Evidence from local tax records," Discussion papers 25012, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    5. Biasi, Paola & De Paola, Maria, 2025. "The role of parental leave policies in mitigating child penalties: insights from Italy," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    6. Pora, Pierre, 2025. "The supply of nursing labor in French hospitals: Outflows, part-time work and motherhood," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    7. Gan, Renren & Jongen, Egbert L. W. & Rabaté, Simon & Terpstra, Bo, 2025. "The Evolution of the Child Penalty and Gender-Related Inequality in the Netherlands, 1989–2022," IZA Discussion Papers 18158, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Ludovica Ciasullo & Martina Uccioli, 2025. "What Works for Working Couples? Work Arrangements, Maternal Labor Supply, and the Division of Home Production," CESifo Working Paper Series 12105, CESifo.
    9. Okuyama, Yoko & Murooka, Takeshi & Yamaguchi, Shintaro, 2025. "Unpacking the Child Penalty Using Personnel Data: How Promotion Practices Widen the Gender Pay Gap," IZA Discussion Papers 17673, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    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
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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