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on Gender |
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Issue of 2025–02–24
six papers chosen by Jan Sauermann, Institutet för Arbetsmarknads- och Utbildningspolitisk Utvärdering |
| By: | Marcén, Miriam; Morales, Marina |
| Abstract: | This study provides a thorough examination of the evolving gender gap in time allocated to housework in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. With data from the American Time Use Survey (2015-2022), our findings reveal a significant trend towards greater equality in the allocation of household tasks among couples, extending beyond the initial stages of COVID-19. Although the immediate response post-pandemic was not substantial, the subsequent period witnessed a sizable decrease of 16 minutes, representing 57% of the pre-pandemic gender gap related to housework time. Our research demonstrates an increase in men's domestic contributions, particularly in tasks related to interior cleaning. The pandemic's impact on housework time varied across personal characteristics, with younger individuals without a college degree and those without school-aged children making significant strides in closing the gender gap. Further results show that parents maintained a similar share of childcare responsibilities as before the pandemic, which may suggest that mothers mistrust fathers' ability to provide the same standard of care. This is also reflected by the fact that men have increased their participation in housework with their partner present. A supplementary analysis highlights the intensity of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) as a potential mechanism for changing gender roles. We show a more significant closure of the gender gap in household labor in areas with more intense NPIs. Our study presents suggestive evidence indicating that the ability to telework is also reducing the gender gap in domestic labor among couples. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19, housework, gender, American Time Use Survey (ATUS) |
| JEL: | D13 J16 J22 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1563 |
| By: | Molly Maloney; David Neumark |
| Abstract: | One explanation of the gender wage gap is taste discrimination, as in Becker (1957). We test for taste discrimination by constructing a novel measure of misogyny using Google Trends data on searches that include derogatory terms for women. We find—surprisingly, in our view—that misogyny is an economically meaningful and statistically significant predictor of the wage gap. We also test more explicit implications of taste discrimination. The data are inconsistent with the Becker taste discrimination model, based on the tests used in Charles and Guryan (2008). But the data are consistent with the effects of taste discrimination against women in search models (Black, 1995), in which discrimination on the part of even a small group of misogynists can result in a wage gap. |
| JEL: | J16 J29 J7 |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33405 |
| By: | Nur Bilge (Université de Lille, CNRS, IESEG School of Management, UMR 9221 Lille Economie Management, F-59000 Lille, France); Simone Moriconi (IESEG School of Management, Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9221 - LEM - Lille Economie Management, F-59000 Lille, France, CESifo, Munich, Germany) |
| Abstract: | This paper uses data from the Turkish Household Labour Force Survey (2005–2020) to examine how Syrian refugee inflows affect gender inequality within households. Employing a shiftshare IV strategy based on the historical share of Arabic-speaking populations in Turkey in 1965, we find that increased refugee inflows are linked to greater intra-family gender inequality in households where both spouses work. Although the average effect is modest, it becomes sizeable when family dynamics are considered too. A 10% rise in refugee stock leads to a 3.85% increase in the gender productivity penalty for households with at least one child, while no effect is observed in childless families. These findings suggest that refugee migrants are closer substitutes for native female than male workers. Finally, we argue that conservative cultural norms may contribute to undermining the labor market position of native married women as the supply of migrant male workers grows. |
| Keywords: | refugees; household; inequality; local labour market |
| JEL: | D63 E24 F22 J12 J61 R23 |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ies:wpaper:e202418 |
| By: | Almar, Frederik (Aarhus University); Friedrich, Benjamin (Northwestern University); Reynoso, Ana (University of Michigan); Schulz, Bastian (Aarhus University); Vejlin, Rune Majlund (Aarhus University) |
| Abstract: | This paper studies how family and firm investments interact to explain gender gaps in career achievement. Using Danish administrative data, we first document novel evidence of this interaction through a “spousal effect” on firm-side career investments. This effect is accounted for by family labor supply choices that shape worker characteristics, which then influence firms’ training and promotion decisions. Our main theoretical contribution is to develop a quantitative life cycle model that captures these family-firm interactions through household formation, families’ joint career and fertility choices, and firms’ managerial training and promotion decisions. We then use the estimated model to show that the interaction between families and firms in the joint equilibrium of labor and marriage markets is important when evaluating firm-side and family-side policy interventions. We find that gender-equal parental leave and a managerial quota can both improve gender equality, but leave implies costly skill depreciation, whereas the quota raises aggregate welfare, in part through adjustments in marital sorting towards families that invest in women. |
| Keywords: | Gender inequality, career investments, firm training, management promotions, marriage market matching |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17653 |
| By: | Elena Bassoli (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement) |
| Abstract: | The role of gender norms in determining women's and men's health has been largely overlooked by the economic discipline. This paper is among the first to evaluate the role of social norms on health disparities, a topic that has received limited attention. By combining two European cross-country data sources, I propose a novel approach to measuring gender norms and identifying the causal effect of changes in social norms on individuals' health. I exploit the European Value Study (EVS) and build time-varying measures of gender norms in the family and the work domains at the country-year level. These measures are then linked with the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) data, which is representative at the older population in Europe. I set up an OLS model, including individuals and time-fixed effects, and investigate the role of norms on health status. I show that stronger traditional gender norms in the family increase women's depression. I also find that more gendered norms at work decrease women's reporting of poor health. I disentangle some potential mechanisms to test the precise channel by which the type of norm leads to the selected outcomes: financial difficulties, smoking and drinking are among the most critical drivers. Given that reducing gender health inequalities is crucial for fostering an equitable society, targeting neutral gender norms remains a crucial goal of public policies |
| Keywords: | Health, Health inequalities, Mental Health, EVS, SHARE |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:psewpa:halshs-04655501 |
| By: | Di Gioacchino, Debora; Ghignoni, Emanuela; Verashchagina, Alina |
| Abstract: | The prolonged career break around childbirth is one of the reasons behind large motherhood penalties in terms of pay and employment opportunities. We aim to understand what is driving the duration of career break in Italy, where it often remains longer than the five-month obligatory maternity leave. The theoretical model proposed describes trade-offs about career, fertility and time devoted to children, allowing for heterogeneity in women's education and preferences for parenting versus career. This preference is an individual characteristic which can be influenced by social norms and gender stereotypes. By relying on PLUS 2014 and 2021 surveys, we test model predictions and reveal an interesting shift: while a decade ago women characterised by higher parenting priority seemed to be more exposed to the risk of dropping out from the labour market, nowadays the desire to have kids appears to go side by side with the desire to maintain paid employment. We interpret this as a course for economic independence on the side of Italian women, especially the more educated, probably related to a shift in their priorities from parenting towards work and career. Further analysis is proposed to understand how the prevailing social norms and local characteristics could impact on career break and labour market participation. |
| Keywords: | Career break, Female labour force participation, Italy |
| JEL: | D10 J13 J22 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1564 |