Working Paper: NBER ID: w25524
Authors: Henrik Kleven; Camille Landais; Johanna Posch; Andreas Steinhauer; Josef Zweimüller
Abstract: This paper provides evidence on child penalties in female and male earnings in different countries. The estimates are based on event studies around the birth of the first child, using the specification proposed by Kleven et al. (2018). The analysis reveals some striking similarities in the qualitative effects of children across countries, but also sharp differences in the magnitude of the effects. We discuss the potential role of family policies (parental leave and child care provision) and gender norms in explaining the observed differences.
Keywords: child penalties; gender inequality; parenthood; labor market outcomes; family policies
JEL Codes: H31; J13; J16; J18; J22
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Children (J13) | Women's earnings (J31) |
| Children (J13) | Men's earnings (J31) |
| Birth of the first child (J13) | Women's earnings (J31) |
| Birth of the first child (J13) | Men's earnings (J31) |
| Child penalties vary across countries (J13) | Women's earnings (J31) |