Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/88603
Year of Publication: 
2013
Series/Report no.: 
ZEW Discussion Papers No. 13-107
Publisher: 
Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW), Mannheim
Abstract: 
The effects of childbirth on future labor market outcomes are a key issue for policy discussion. This paper implements a dynamic treatment approach to estimate the effect of having the first child now versus later on future employment for the case of Germany, a country with a long maternity leave coverage. Effect heterogeneity is assessed by estimating ex post outcome regressions. Based on SOEP data, we provide estimates at a monthly frequency. The results show that there are very strong negative employment effects after childbirth. Although the employment loss is reduced over the first five years following childbirth, it does not level off to zero. The employment loss is lower for mothers with a university degree. It is especially high for medium-skilled mothers with long prebirth employment experience. We find a significant reduction in the employment loss for more recent childbirths.
Subjects: 
Female labor supply
Maternity leave
Dynamic treatment effect
Inverse Probability Weighting
JEL: 
C14
J13
J22
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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