Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP7299
Authors: Dominique Goux; Eric Maurin
Abstract: French children start public school either the year they turn two or the year they turn three. We evaluate the impact of this unique schooling policy on maternal labour supply. Using a Regression-discontinuity design, we show that early school availability has a significant employment effect on lone mothers, but no effect on two-parent families. Also we show that the effect grows larger as the child grows older and as the family loses eligibility for child benefits. Finally, we provide some new evidence that school enrolment at the age of two has no adverse effect on children?s subsequent educational outcomes.
Keywords: maternal labor supply; preschool
JEL Codes: J13; J22
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Public school availability for two-year-olds (I21) | Labor supply of single mothers (J22) |
| Labor supply of single mothers (J22) | Labor supply elasticity for single mothers with three-year-olds (J22) |
| Public school availability for two-year-olds (I21) | Labor supply of single mothers with three-year-olds (J22) |
| Public school availability for two-year-olds (I21) | Labor supply of single mothers with two-year-olds (J22) |
| Age of child (J13) | Labor supply of single mothers (J22) |
| Public preschool system (I21) | Labor market participation for single mothers (J49) |
| Public preschool availability (I21) | Labor supply of single mothers (J22) |