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Childcare and Maternal Employment: Evidence from Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Dang, Hai-Anh H

    (World Bank)

  • Hiraga, Masako

    (World Bank)

  • Nguyen, Cuong Viet

    (National Economics University Vietnam)

Abstract

Little literature currently exists on the effects of childcare use on maternal labor market outcomes in a developing country context, and the few recent studies offer mixed results. We attempt to fill these gaps by analyzing several latest rounds of the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey spanning the early to mid-2010s. Addressing endogeneity issues with a regression discontinuity estimator based on children's birth months, we find a sizable effect of childcare attendance on women's labor market outcomes, including their total annual wages, household income, and poverty status. The effects of childcare attendance differ by women's characteristics and are particularly strong for younger, more educated women. Furthermore, we also find that childcare has a medium-term effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Dang, Hai-Anh H & Hiraga, Masako & Nguyen, Cuong Viet, 2019. "Childcare and Maternal Employment: Evidence from Vietnam," IZA Discussion Papers 12814, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12814
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    Cited by:

    1. Sinha, Aashima & Kumar Sedai, Ashish & Bahadur Rahut, Dil & Sonobe, Tetsushi, 2024. "Well-being costs of unpaid care: Gendered evidence from a contextualized time-use survey in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    2. Nguyen, Cuong, 2019. "Simulation of the Costs and Benefits of Delayed Retirement: Evidence from Vietnam," MPRA Paper 106180, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Vu, Khoa & Glewwe, Paul, 2022. "Maternity benefits mandate and women’s choice of work in Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    4. Phuong Huu Khiem & Do Bao Linh & Tran Viet Khanh & Do Anh Tai, 2024. "Does maternity leave reform impact on the labour supply of the elderly? Evidence from a natural experiment in Vietnam," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 38(3), pages 365-394, September.
    5. Dung Quang Nguyen & Dung Tuan Hoang & Huyen Khanh Giang Nguyen & Trung Xuan Hoang & Tuyen Quang Tran, 2024. "Does migration affect the well-being of children under 5? Evidence from Vietnam," Population and Economics, ARPHA Platform, vol. 8(2), pages 206-230, September.
    6. Gedeon Achi, Fiona & Friedson-Ridenour, Sophia & Pierotti, Rachael Susan & Ouangraoua, Nathalie & Bambara, Alis, 2025. "Double Burden, Unequal Ground : Childcare Challenges and Work-Family Conflict for Low-Income Mothers in Urban Burkina Faso," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11150, The World Bank.
    7. Nguyen, Cuong Viet & Tarp, Finn, 2023. "Cash Transfers and Labor Supply: New Evidence on Impacts and Mechanisms," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1243, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    8. Cuong Viet Nguyen, 2022. "The effect of preschool attendance on Children's health: Evidence from a lower middle‐income country," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(8), pages 1558-1589, August.
    9. Daniel Halim & Elizaveta Perova & Sarah Reynolds, 2022. "Childcare and Women’s Labor Market Outcomes in Lower-and Middle-Income Countries," World Bank Publications - Reports 37734, The World Bank Group.
    10. Gabriela Ram√≠rez Mart√≠nez, 2025. "Taking Care of those who take Care of Us: What if a Manzana del Cuidado Was Just Around the Corner?," Documentos CEDE 21341, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    11. Cuong Nguyen & Anh Tran, 2020. "Are children an incentive or a disincentive for migration? Evidence from Vietnam," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(3), pages 467-485, July.
    12. Amanda E. Devercelli & Frances Beaton-Day, 2020. "Better Jobs and Brighter Futures," World Bank Publications - Reports 35062, The World Bank Group.
    13. Balasubramanian, Pooja & Ibanez, Marcela & Khan, Sarah & Sahoo, Soham, 2024. "Does women's economic empowerment promote human development in low- and middle-income countries? A meta-analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    14. Anukriti, S & Dinarte, Lelys & Elefante, Marina & Montoya-Aguirre, Maria & Sakhonchik, Alena, 2023. "Filling the Gaps : Childcare Laws for Women's Economic Empowerment," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10492, The World Bank.
    15. Lee, Sung-Tae & Jung, Sun-Moon, 2024. "The interactive effect of maternity leaves and child care enrollment on maternal employment," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 344-353.
    16. Anh Thu Quang Pham & Pundarik Mukhopadhaya & Ha Vu, 2021. "Estimating poverty and vulnerability to monetary and non-monetary poverty: the case of Vietnam," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 61(6), pages 3125-3177, December.
    17. Kozhaya, Mireille, 2022. "The double burden: The impact of school closures on labor force participation of mothers," Ruhr Economic Papers 956, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    18. Võ Hồ Quốc Huy & Trần Quốc Bửu & Hoàng Quang Sáng & Nguyễn Xuân Hiên & Trương Ngọc Hà Nam, 2023. "Ảnh hưởng lao động nữ đối với quyết định phân bổ thời gian cho việc học hoặc tham gia lao động của con cái cho trường hợp tại nông thôn Việt Nam," TẠP CHÍ KHOA HỌC ĐẠI HỌC MỞ THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH - KHOA HỌC XÃ HỘI, HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY, vol. 18(1), pages 76-88.
    19. Mieke Meurs & Maigul Nugmanova & Aizhan Salimzhanova & Stevie Marvin, 2021. "Gender Regime and Women’s Employment in Kazakhstan," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 63(4), pages 603-622, December.
    20. Semih Tumen & Belgi Turan, 2023. "The effect of fertility on female labor supply in a labor market with extensive informality," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(4), pages 1855-1894, October.
    21. Sanja Samirana Pattnayak & Alka Chadha & Suresh Kumar Patra, 2024. "Lockdowns and female labour force participation: the curious case of India," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(52), pages 6690-6704, November.
    22. Michael Coleman & Sang Thanh Le & Nhu Huynh Mao & Khoi Minh Chau & Jason Condon & Paul Kristiansen, 2025. "Rural Youth Aspirations in the Face of Environmental, Economic and Social Pressures: Transformation in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 37(3), pages 524-547, June.
    23. Daniel Halim & Hillary C. Johnson & Elizaveta Perova, 2022. "Preschool Availability and Women’s Employment: Evidence from Indonesia," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 71(1), pages 39-61.
    24. Fang, Guanfu & Miao, Liya, 2024. "Expanding boundaries: The Impact of kindergarten availability on women's employment in China," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

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    Keywords

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    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
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • O0 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - General

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