Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/4075 
Year of Publication: 
2007
Series/Report no.: 
Kiel Working Paper No. 1379
Publisher: 
Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), Kiel
Abstract: 
This study investigates the relation between human capital depreciation during family-related career interruptions and occupational choice of women in the (West) German labour market. In contrast to other studies that do not explicitly focus on family-related career interruptions, we find that short-term human capital depreciation during these career interruptions is significantly lower in female occupations than in male occupations. This holds for both high- and low-skilled occupations. Our findings support the self-selection hypothesis with respect to occupational sex segregation, i.e., women might deliberately choose female occupations because of lower short-term wage penalties for family-related career interruptions. Moreover, we find that particularly men employed in high-skilled male occupations face large short-run as well as long run wage penalties when they have a family related career break.
Subjects: 
Occupational segregation
GSOEP
Parental leave
Skills obsolescence
JEL: 
J24
J13
D13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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