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Impact of first-birth career interruption on earnings: evidence from administrative data

Author

Listed:
  • Julie L. Hotchkiss
  • M. Melinda Pitts
  • Mary Beth Walker

    (IN University)

Abstract

This paper uses unique administrative data to expand the understanding of the role women's intermittency decisions play in the determination of their wages. We demonstrate that treating intermittency as exogenous significantly overstates its impact. The intermittency penalty also increases in the education level of the woman. The penalty for a woman with a high school degree with an average amount of intermittency during six years after giving birth to her first child is roughly half the penalty for a college graduate. We also demonstrate the value of using an index to capture multiple dimensions of the intermittency experience, and we illustrate the importance of firm dynamics in the determination of a woman's wage.

Suggested Citation

  • Julie L. Hotchkiss & M. Melinda Pitts & Mary Beth Walker, 2014. "Impact of first-birth career interruption on earnings: evidence from administrative data," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2014-23, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedawp:2014-23
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. YoonKyung Chung & Barbara Downs & Danielle H. Sandler & Robert Sienkiewicz, 2017. "The Parental Gender Earnings Gap in the United States," Working Papers 17-68, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    2. Shulamit Kahn & Donna Ginther, 2017. "Women and STEM," NBER Working Papers 23525, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    intermittency; administrative data; career interruptions; fertility; labor supply; wage differentials;

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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