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Having It All? Employment, Earnings and Children

Author

Listed:
  • Laun, Tobias

    (Department of Economics)

  • Wallenius, Johanna

    (Department of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics)

Abstract

Sweden boasts high fertility and high female employment. However, part-time employment is very prevalent. There is a notable gender gap in both wages and earnings, which widens substantially after women have children. In this paper we study the effect of family policies on female employment, fertility and the gender wage gap. To this end, we develop a structural, life cycle model of heterogeneous households which features endogenous labor supply, human capital accumulation, fertility and home production. We find that family policies, such as subsidized daycare and part-time work options, promote maternal employment and fertility. Part-time work contributes greatly to the widening of the gender wage gap following the arrival of children. However, restricting part-time work options would lower maternal employment, and thereby also widen the gender wage gap.

Suggested Citation

  • Laun, Tobias & Wallenius, Johanna, 2017. "Having It All? Employment, Earnings and Children," Working Paper Series 2017:6, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:uunewp:2017_006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jonas Jessen & Lavinia Kinne & Michele Battisti, 2024. "Child Penalties in Labour Market Skills," CEPA Discussion Papers 81, Center for Economic Policy Analysis.
    2. Paule-Paludkiewicz, Hannah, 2024. "Does the right to work part-time affect mothers' labor market outcomes?," Discussion Papers 12/2024, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    3. Jonas Jessen & Lavinia Kinne & Michele Battisti, 2025. "Child Penalties in Labour Market Skills," CESifo Working Paper Series 11874, CESifo.
    4. Paule-Paludkiewicz, Hannah, 2020. "Does the Right to Work Part-Time Affect Mothers' Labor Market Outcomes?," VfS Annual Conference 2020 (Virtual Conference): Gender Economics 224556, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    5. Meekes, Jordy & Hassink, Wolter H.J., 2022. "Gender differences in job flexibility: Commutes and working hours after job loss," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Life cycle; Labor supply; Human capital; Fertility; Home production;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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