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Motherhood and the Allocation of Talent

Author

Listed:
  • Inés Berniell

    (CEDLAS-IIE-FCE-UNLP)

  • Lucila Berniell

    (CAF)

  • Dolores de la Mata

    (CAF)

  • María Edo

    (Universidad de San Andrés)

  • Yarine Fawaz

    (CEMFI)

  • Matilde P. Machado

    (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

  • Mariana Marchionni

    (CEDLAS-IIE-FCE-UNLP and CONICET)

Abstract

In this paper we show that motherhood triggers changes in the allocation of talent in the labor market besides the well-known effects on gender gaps in employment and earnings. We use an event study approach with retrospective data for 29 countries drawn from SHARE to assess the labor market responses to motherhood across groups with different educational attainment, math ability by the age of 10, and personality traits. We find that while even the most talented women— both in absolute terms and relative to their husbands—leave the labor market or uptake part-time jobs after the birth of the first child, all men, including the least talented, stay employed. We also find that motherhood induces a negative selection of talents into self-employment. Overall, our results suggest relevant changes in the allocation of talent caused by gender differences in nonmarket responsibilities that can have sizable impacts on aggregate market productivity. We also show that the size of labor market responses to motherhood are larger in societies with more conservative social-norms or with weaker policies regarding work-life balance

Suggested Citation

  • Inés Berniell & Lucila Berniell & Dolores de la Mata & María Edo & Yarine Fawaz & Matilde P. Machado & Mariana Marchionni, 2020. "Motherhood and the Allocation of Talent," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0270, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    • Handle: RePEc:dls:wpaper:0270
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    Cited by:

    1. Lucas van der Velde, 2022. "Changes in attitudes towards gender norms following childbirth," Working Papers 397, Leibniz Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (Institute for East and Southeast European Studies).
    2. Berniell, Inés & Berniell, Lucila & de la Mata, Dolores & Edo, María & Fawaz, Yarine & Machado, Matilde P. & Marchionni, Mariana, 2022. "Motherhood, pregnancy or marriage effects?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    3. Berniell, Inés & Berniell, Lucila & de la Mata, Dolores & Edo, María & Marchionni, Mariana, 2023. "Motherhood and flexible jobs: Evidence from Latin American countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    4. Inés Berniell & Leonardo Gasparini & Mariana Marchionni & Mariana Viollaz, 2023. "The role of children and work-from-home in gender labor market asymmetries: evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1191-1214, December.
    5. Mariana Marchionni & Julián Pedrazzi, 2023. "The Last Hurdle? Unyielding Motherhood Effects in the Context of Declining Gender Inequality in Latin America," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0321, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    6. Alicia Quinto & Laura Hospido & Carlos Sanz, 2021. "The child penalty: evidence from Spain," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 585-606, December.
    7. Julian Pedrazzi & Leonardo Peñaloza-Pacheco, 2021. "Heterogeneous Effects of Forced Migration on Female Labor Supply," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0274, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

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    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
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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