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Identity, Working Moms, and Childlessness: Evidence from Switzerland. Working paper (2013)
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BibTeX
@MISC{Steinhauer13identity,working,
author = {Andreas Steinhauer},
title = {Identity, Working Moms, and Childlessness: Evidence from Switzerland. Working paper},
year = {2013}
}
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Abstract
[job market paper] The positive relationship between fertility and female labor force participation in the cross-country di-mension represents a puzzle when viewed through the lens of the classical household model. This paper argues that differences in women's identity may be important to explain this pattern. I exploit a unique setting in Switzerland, where German- and French-speaking women are neighbors sharing the same institu-tional environment, but retaining different attitudes towards working mothers. While there is high tolerance of working mothers with children below school age in the French-speaking region, this is much less the case in the German-speaking region. Using a spatial regression discontinuity design, I find that labor force participation of mothers is lower and childlessness higher on the German-speaking side, particularly among more educated women, while composition, work-family policies, labor market opportunities, and the gen-eral institutional setting vary smoothly. I argue that a simple household model combined with the identity framework of Akerlof and Kranton (2000) provides a natural explanation of the observed patterns. JEL classification: D12, J13, J22 Most recent version:
Keyphrases
working mom j22 recent version identity framework observed pattern jel classification natural explanation educated woman german-speaking side cross-country di-mension positive relationship german-speaking region different attitude french-speaking woman unique setting labor force participation french-speaking region female labor force participation spatial regression discontinuity design institu-tional environment school age simple household model high tolerance work-family policy job market paper classical household model labor market opportunity
