Working Paper: NBER ID: w23644
Authors: Francine D. Blau; Anne E. Winkler
Abstract: This chapter focuses on women, work, and family, with a particular focus on differences by educational attainment. First, we review long-term trends regarding family structure, participation in the labor market, and time spent in household production, including time with children. In looking at family, we focus on mothers with children. Next we examine key challenges faced by mothers as they seek to combine motherhood and paid work: workforce interruptions associated with childbearing, the impact of home and family responsibilities, and constraints posed by workplace culture. We also consider the role that gendered norms play in shaping outcomes for mothers. We conclude by discussing policies that have the potential to increase gender equality in the workplace and mitigate the considerable conflicts faced by many women as they seek to balance work and family.
Keywords: women; work; family; labor market; educational attainment
JEL Codes: J1; J12; J13; J16; J22
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Increased women's labor force participation (J21) | Decline in marriage rates (J12) |
| Childbearing (J13) | Workforce interruptions for mothers (J22) |
| Workforce interruptions for mothers (J22) | Negative impact on labor market outcomes (F66) |
| Longer maternity leaves (J22) | Greater income loss for women (J17) |
| Gendered norms (J16) | Penalties for women who prioritize family (J12) |
| Family-friendly policies (J13) | Enhanced women's labor force participation (J21) |
| Family-friendly policies (J13) | Mitigate conflicts faced by working mothers (J29) |
| HIV/AIDS crisis (H84) | Changes in gender role attitudes (J16) |