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on Demographic Economics |
| By: | Gan, Renren (Leiden University); Jongen, Egbert L. W. (Leiden University); Rabaté, Simon (French Institute of Demographic Studies (Ined)); Terpstra, Bo (Leiden University) |
| Abstract: | We study the evolution of the child penalty and gender-related inequality in the Netherlands. We use administrative panel data from 1989 to 2022 in an extension of the event study approach used in Kleven et al. (2019b). We document a substantial decline in child penalties (in earnings) for first-time mothers from 60% in the early 1990s to 35% in the 2010s. This decline is much larger than in the handful of other countries documented so far. However, looking at subperiods, we also find that the decline in the child penalty in the Netherlands has stalled in the mid 2000s, despite a steep rise in spending on formal childcare. Next, we decompose the gender-related inequality for parents into inequality related to children, education, migration background and a residual. We find that overall gender-related inequality and child-related gender inequality decline in parallel over time. The role of education and migration background is small and becomes less important over time. Hence, a substantial residual remains, and cannot be attributed to the aforementioned factors. We also show that the event-time window used is crucial for the contribution of the child penalty to the evolution of gender inequality. |
| Keywords: | gender-related inequality, child penalty, evolution |
| JEL: | D63 J13 J16 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18158 |
| By: | Brändle, Thomas; Colombier, Carsten; Lerch, Benjamin |
| Abstract: | Healthcare expenditure growth is a key economic policy issue threatening the sustainability of public finances in advanced economies. This paper examines the determinants of healthcare expenditure in Switzerland using a time-series analysis for the period 1960-2022. Applying a dynamic OLS and an outlier-robust modified generalized maximum likelihood (MM) estimation approach, we find that income growth, population ageing, and Baumol’s cost disease have all contributed to increasing total and public healthcare expenditure. The analysis suggests an income elasticity between 0.9 and 1.3, accounting for roughly half of the secular increase in healthcare expenditure. Our estimations also suggest a decrease in income elasticity over time. We find that population ageing has contributed by around 15% to the growth in healthcare expenditure. Income growth, demographic shifts, medical progress, slow productivity growth and labor shortages in healthcare are poised to intensify spending pressures in the years ahead, with implications both for total and public healthcare expenditure. Our results substantiate the policy debate on the determinants of healthcare expenditure, provide a tailored evidence basis for the healthcare expenditure projection framework for Switzerland and underscore the need for comprehensive reforms in the health sector to contain expenditure growth. |
| Keywords: | Health expenditure, public finances, income elasticity, population ageing, Baumol’s cost disease |
| JEL: | H51 I18 J11 C22 |
| Date: | 2025–06–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bsl:wpaper:2025/06 |
| By: | Cramer, Robert J (Vanderbilt University); Kniesner, Thomas J. (Claremont Graduate University); Viscusi, W. Kip (Vanderbilt University) |
| Abstract: | Although wage rates are lower when employers have monopsony power, we find that the value of a statistical life (VSL) is not reduced when labor markets are more concentrated. Because the estimated VSL is the product of the wage and the wage-risk tradeoff rate, a greater tradeoff rate in highly concentrated U.S. labor markets produces a larger VSL. The general relationship we find is robust with respect to different labor market data. Our results provide the first evidence contradicting policy-related concerns that the VSL is lower in monopsonistic labor markets. |
| Keywords: | monopsony, VSL, value of a statistical life, concentration, HHI |
| JEL: | J17 J42 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18173 |