|
on Labour Economics |
| By: | Ewa Cukrowska-Torzewska (Interdisciplinary Centre for Labour Market and Family Dynamics (LabFam), Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Anna Matysiak (Interdisciplinary Centre for Labour Market and Family Dynamics (LabFam), Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Agnieszka Kasperska (Interdisciplinary Centre for Labour Market and Family Dynamics (LabFam), Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Gayle Kaufman (Davidson College) |
| Abstract: | This study provides causal evidence on the hiring and pay penalties associated with taking parental leave of varying lengths. We investigate how deviations from prevailing social norms, in the form of non-standard leave-taking behavior by mothers and fathers, affect their employment outcomes. We also compare the parental leave penalties with those linked to unemployment to disentangle the determinants of these penalties and to identify the mechanisms through which they operate. To this end, we conducted a discrete choice experiment with 997 managers, who evaluated hypothetical job candidates differing in the length of employment interruptions due to parental leave. Using a conditional logit model, we find that both mothers and fathers face disadvantages in hiring and remuneration when taking longer parental leave. Notably, fathers are penalized for taking any parental leave, though the penalties are more severe for longer leave. These poorer employability prospects stem from managers perceiving such fathers as less available for work. Meanwhile, mothers receive hiring and pay bonuses for taking shorter leaves, stemming from employer perceptions of such mothers as more available, competent, and motivated. |
| Keywords: | Energy parental leave, family policies, employment, wages, gender norms, ideal worker norms |
| JEL: | J13 J16 J22 J31 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:war:wpaper:2025-27 |
| By: | Nordin, Martin (Agrifood Economics Centre and Department of Economics, Lund University); Bergh, Andreas (Department of Economics, Lund University) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines income and employment outcomes for immigrants in Sweden’s most immigrant-dense neighbourhoods between 1998 and 2022. While relative employment among immigrants has improved, relative incomes in these neighbourhoods have stagnated or declined. The most plausible explanation for the persisting income gap and the shrinking employment gap between immigrant-dense and other neighbourhoods is that immigrants in immigrant-dense neighbourhoods are increasingly channelled into non-standard employment. If we look at all immigrants, regardless of where they live, gaps between immigrants and natives are shrinking, both in terms of income and employment. Reconciling these patterns, we show that individuals in immigrant-dense neighbourhoods who enter employment are more likely to relocate to other areas. |
| Keywords: | Immigrant integration; Labour market outcomes; Non-standard employment; Immigrant-dense neighbourhoods |
| JEL: | J61 R23 |
| Date: | 2025–11–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:iuiwop:1540 |
| By: | Francis M. Dillon; Sari Pekkala Kerr; William R. Kerr; Andrew J. Wang |
| Abstract: | Immigrant students who attend U.S. colleges are disproportionately employed in either large firms—especially multinationals—or small firms and self-employment. Using linked Census and longitudinal employment data, we trace the jobs taken by college students in 2000 during the 2001-20 period and evaluate four mechanisms shaping sector and firm size placement: geographic clustering, degree specialization, firm capabilities/visas, and ethnic self-employment specialization. Degree fields predict large firm and MNE placement, while ethnic specialization explains small firm sorting. Immigrant students who remain in the U.S. earn more than their native peers, suggesting the segmentation reflects productive sorting rather than blocked opportunity. |
| JEL: | F22 F23 F66 I23 J61 L26 M13 M16 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34440 |
| By: | Martín Trombetta (Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política (IIEP UBA–CONICET). Buenos Aires, Argentina.) |
| Abstract: | This paper studies intergenerational occupational mobility in Argentina using two nationally representative retrospective household surveys. It estimates the transmission of parents’ job attributes to their children through OLS, instrumental variables, and unconditional quantile regressions. Results show strong persistence in job skill level and occupational socioeconomic status, while rank, establishment size, and industry correlate across generations but weaken when IV is applied. Quantile regressions indicate persistence is driven by the right tail—higher‑status jobs—implying sizable effects on social mobility and equality of opportunity. |
| Keywords: | Social mobility; Intergenerational transmission; Occupational mobility; Labor market |
| JEL: | B15 C1 E02 H41 |
| Date: | 2025–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ake:iiepdt:2025-106 |
| By: | Hanks, F. |
| Abstract: | Workers displaced by the reallocation of labor demand across industries suffer persistent earnings losses, in large part due to higher unemployment risk. This paper quantifies the aggregate unemployment implications of a reallocation of labor demand. I develop a search and matching model with multiple industries and industry specific skill that is calibrated to the US economy. In the model a reallocation shock leads to up to a 0.5 percentage points rise in unemployment. The combination of industry specific skill and imperfect substitutability between workers of different skill levels are key to this result. |
| Date: | 2025–09–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cam:camdae:2571 |
| By: | Banerjee, Souvik; Mukhopadhyay, Sankar (University of Nevada, Reno); Jaiswal, Preeti |
| Abstract: | Using nationally representative longitudinal data from the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey, we examine the effect of childbirth on female labour market outcomes in India. Contrary to findings from similar studies in developed countries, we do not observe any motherhood penalty in earnings, employment or work hours post-childbirth, after accounting for unobserved individual heterogeneity. Interestingly, we find that the birth of a child leads to a 27.4% and 32.6% increase in women’s average earnings in urban and rural regions, respectively, relative to non-mothers. This motherhood premium seems to arise partly due to higher employment after childbirth. Further, we find that the increase in the likelihood of employment is predominantly observed among women from lower caste, Hindu religion, lower income quartiles, those with primary education, and higher order births in urban regions. In rural regions, the effect is restricted to women from the lowest income quartiles. We find that the presence of older siblings in the household increases the likelihood of women’s employment by 3.7 percentage points. These findings underscore the role of socio-economic factors in shaping the labour market outcomes of women in India. |
| Keywords: | earnings, employment, motherhood penalty, female labour market, childbirth, event study, India |
| JEL: | J13 J21 J31 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18246 |
| By: | Sascha O. Becker; Jeanet Sinding Bentzen; Chun Chee Kok |
| Abstract: | This paper provides a survey of the literature on gender differences in religiosity and the influence of religion on gender-related economic and social outcomes. Part I examines why women tend to be more religious than men, discussing central explanations. Part II explores how religion impacts various gender-related outcomes, such as gender norms and attitudes, education, labor market participation, fertility, health, legal institutions and reforms, and discrimination. Within each domain, we distinguish between effects driven by individual religiosity (intensity of religious practice or belief) and those driven by their religious denomination. We synthesize findings from numerous studies, highlighting data sources, measures of religion and gender outcomes, and empirical strategies. We focus on studies with credible causal identification—such as natural experiments, instrumental variable approaches, and policy changes—to uncover the impact of religion on outcomes. Correlational studies are also reviewed to provide context. Across studies, the evidence suggests that religious teachings and participation often reinforce traditional gender roles, affecting women’s education, labor force participation, and fertility choices, although there are important nuances and exceptions. We also document instances where secular reforms or religious movements have altered these outcomes. The survey concludes by identifying gaps in the literature and suggesting directions for future research. An important take-away from our review is that rigorous empirical studies are scarce, leaving room for novel causal studies in this field. |
| Keywords: | gender gap, religion, religiosity, gender norms, education, fertility, labor markets, cultural transmission |
| JEL: | Z12 J16 J24 I21 J13 Z13 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12256 |
| By: | Carol H. Shiue; Wolfgang Keller |
| Abstract: | We study how elite power persisted through the Ming–Qing transition in Central China. Using genealogical microdata on married couples and their descendants, linked to measures of local elite influence, we estimate the effects of the Ming collapse (1368–1644) on families (people) and on regions (places). A family line-level treatment and control approach shows that elites experienced an immediate loss of influence, but their descendants recovered and consolidated elite status under the Qing (1644–1911). In contrast, a region-level design indicates that areas more heavily exposed to Ming-collapse destruction suffered persistent adverse outcomes. Evidence on career choice is consistent with a trauma-induced shift toward civil service examination careers, with stronger intergenerational transmission of exam-oriented norms in families more exposed to destruction. The results document adaptive persistence of elite families despite regime change, alongside lasting regional scarring, and highlight the role of cultural transmission in the persistence of elite status. |
| JEL: | N95 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34451 |
| By: | Steven F. Lehrer; Luke Rawling |
| Abstract: | Immigrant integration is a central issue in policy debates, with wage assimilation serving as a key indicator of immigrants’ economic success. Using matched employer–employee data from Canada, we study how access to higher-paying firms affects the economic assimilation of immigrants. Immigrants are disproportionately concentrated in lower-paying firms, accounting for much of the observed inequality. Nearly half of this sorting occurs across industries, and both firm- and industry-level wage gaps stagnate after eight years, suggesting that further assimilation reflects human capital accumulation rather than improved firm access. Importantly, these disparities persist after controlling for estimates of worker skill, indicating barriers to high-paying firms rather than differences in human capital. The analysis further shows that Canada’s post-2015 immigration policy reforms significantly improved immigrant outcomes: the initial wage gap narrowed by 25–35%, with roughly half of the improvement attributable to better allocation into higher-paying firms. Taken together, the findings highlight the critical role of firm sorting and its interaction with immigration policy in shaping the economic integration of immigrants. |
| JEL: | J31 J60 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34462 |
| By: | Sarah R. Cohodes; Katherine B. Leu |
| Abstract: | Faculty sexual misconduct targeted at students is a widespread problem. The consequences of such incidents include direct harm to victims and may also entail a loss to science if students who encounter misconduct become discouraged from continuing their studies in their chosen field. We link publicly available information on degree completion by institution, academic field, and gender to a database of faculty sexual misconduct incidents verified in the media or court cases. Then, we employ a stacked event study approach to document the extent to which faculty sexual misconduct decreases in-field degree completion. Exposure to a field-specific faculty sexual misconduct incident decreases degree completion in that field by 3.4 percent four years after the incident. This decline is driven by incidents occurring after 2015, among which we observe a 7 percent decline in in-field degree completion. Students exit majors dominated by men, but this shift has little effect on predicted earnings because students shift away from both high- and low-earning majors. |
| JEL: | I23 J16 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34456 |
| By: | Iimi, Atsushi |
| Abstract: | Access to jobs is essential for economic growth. In Africa, unemployment rates are notably high. This paper reexamines the relationship between transport mobility and labor market outcomes, with a particular focus on the direct and indirect effects of transport connectivity. As predicted by theory, wages are influenced by the level of commuting deterrence. Generally, higher earnings are associated with longer commute times and/or higher commuting costs. Local accessibility is also important, especially for individuals with time constraints. Both direct and indirect impacts are found to be significant in South Africa, where job accessibility has been challenging since the end of apartheid. For the direct impact, the wage elasticity associated with commuting costs is significant. Returns on commute are particularly high for women. Local accessibility to socioeconomic facilities, such as shops and health services, is also found to have a significant impact, consistent with the concept of mobility of care. To enhance employment, therefore, it is crucial to connect people not only to job locations but also to various socioeconomic points of interest, such as markets and hospitals, in an integrated manner. This integration will enable individuals to spend more time working and commuting longer distances. |
| Date: | 2025–11–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11255 |
| By: | Cecchini, Simone; Comelatto, Pablo; Holz, Raúl; Kang, Seongji; Paes, Yaël |
| Abstract: | This document analyses the economic implications of rapid population ageing in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting both the challenges it poses for economic growth, the labour market, and the sustainability of social policies, as well as the opportunities it presents to boost various economic sectors in the region. Based on demographic and economic data, the ongoing structural transformation is examined, with particular emphasis on the increase in the population aged 65 and over. The study reviews the conceptual approaches that enable an understanding of the various dimensions of ageing in relation to production, consumption and intergenerational transfers, such as the silver economy, the longevity economy, and the generational economy. Sectors with potential for economic growth in the context of population ageing have been identified, including health care, caregiving, the pharmaceutical industry, the financial sector, technology, tourism, and adapted housing. Through the analysis of the demographic dividend and the use of the National Transfer Accounts (NTA) methodology, the document assesses the projected impacts of ageing on economic growth and highlights the role of productivity and labour force participation —particularly among women and older persons— as key factors to mitigate these effects. The study also examines innovative public policies in the Republic of Korea and other countries worldwide that may serve as benchmarks for Latin America and the Caribbean. The document concludes that seizing the economic opportunities of population ageing requires incorporating demographic change into public policies, investing in health, social protection, and care systems, as well as recognizing the rights and contributions of older persons, from a life-cycle perspective. |
| Date: | 2025–10–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecr:col045:82540 |
| By: | Janet Currie; Jessica Van Parys |
| Abstract: | The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program is the largest federal affordable housing program in the U.S. Yet, little is known about its impacts on children and families. This paper shows how LIHTC exposure during childhood affects women’s health outcomes in early-adulthood, as well as the health of their infants. Using geocoded Florida Natality data for 1980-2024 and addresses for LIHTC units we study women born to mothers without any college education between 1980-1999. We use a matching model to compare women born into Census tracts that receive LIHTC during their childhoods to women born into Census tracts without LIHTC during their childhoods. These women and their infants are then observed in adulthood when they first give birth in Florida. We find that a standard deviation increase in childhood LIHTC exposure improves the maternal health index and the infant health index by a small but statistically significant 0.007 standard deviations, and improves an index of maternal SES by 0.005 standard deviations. Given that the average treated tract in our sample has only 0.023 LIHTC units per resident, there is considerable room for increasing exposure. LIHTC exposure during childhood improves outcomes the most for Black women, consistent with Black women being more likely to live in LIHTC units, and also more likely to live in Census tracts that receive LIHTC. |
| JEL: | I38 R29 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34464 |
| By: | Bertrand Gruss; Eric Huang; Andresa Helena Lagerborg; Diaa Noureldin; Galip Kemal Ozhan |
| Abstract: | This paper provides new cross-country evidence on healthy aging—the extent to which populations age in better health across successive birth cohorts—and how this shapes labor market outcomes for older workers. Using harmonized microdata on individuals aged 50 and above in 41 countries over 2000-22, we document that physical, cognitive, and mental health have improved systematically across cohorts. To estimate causal effects, we instrument individual health with chronic disease incidence. Better health increases labor supply along both the extensive and intensive margins and raises labor earnings and labor productivity. The results are economically significant: a decade of cohort health gains in cognitive abilities raised older individuals’ labor force participation by about 20 percentage points, weekly hours by around 6, productivity by roughly 30 percent, and total labor earnings by roughly 35 percent. These results suggest that healthy aging can meaningfully bolster labor supply and productivity among older workers, mitigating demographic headwinds for growth and public finances. |
| Keywords: | Population aging; demographic change; healthy aging; labor markets |
| Date: | 2025–11–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2025/229 |
| By: | Barreto, Yuri (Bocconi University); Britto, Diogo (University of Milan Bicocca); Carrillo, Bladimir (Universidade Federal de Pernambuco); Da Mata, Daniel (São Paulo School of Economics-FGV); Emanuel, Lucas (Universidade Federal de Pernambuco); Sampaio, Breno (Universidade Federal de Pernambuco) |
| Abstract: | Worsening climatic conditions and water scarcity pose major threats to rural livelihoods and to the economic development of arid regions. This paper evaluates a large-scale, low-cost climate adaptation program that built one million rain-fed water storage cisterns in Brazil’s poorest and most drought-prone areas. Using novel individual-level administrative data and a difference-in-differences design, we show that the program substantially improved both economic and health outcomes, benefiting adults and children alike. Within ten years, household dependency on cash transfers fell by up to 34%, while formal labor income increased by 20%. Hospitalizations due to waterborne diseases declined by 16% among adults and 37% among children, and compliance with cash transfer conditionalities on child health and education improved. Additional evidence suggests that these gains were driven by a relaxation of time constraints: cisterns markedly reduced the time burden of water collection, enabling beneficiaries to allocate more time to productive activities. A cost-benefit analysis indicates a high marginal value of public funds relative to a broad range of public policies. |
| Keywords: | water, cisterns, labor market, climate adaptation, health |
| JEL: | Q54 Q25 Q58 J01 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18250 |
| By: | Juliana Jaramillo-Echeverri; Andrea Otero-Cortés; Ana María Tribín-Uribe; Marta Juanita Villaveces-Niño |
| Abstract: | This study examines the historical transformations in time use and gender roles in Colombia throughout the 20th century and their persistence in contemporary patterns. Drawing on census microdata and the 2016–2017 and 2020–2021 National Time Use Surveys, we document the evolution of paid and unpaid work across five generations of women and men. The findings confirm a swift increase in female labour force participation, particularly among highly educated women. However, the redistribution of household care lags, with perceptions of gender roles and social norms persisting. While women have succeeded in gaining a space in the public sphere, the division of unpaid work remains unequal, especially when kids are present in the household. Our analysis highlights the need for broader societal and policy interventions to address these structural disparities. **** RESUMEN: Este estudio examina las transformaciones históricas en el uso del tiempo y los roles de género en Colombia a lo largo del siglo XX, así como su persistencia hoy en día. A partir de microdatos censales y de las Encuestas Nacionales de Uso del Tiempo 2016–2017 y 2020–2021, documentamos la evolución del trabajo remunerado y no remunerado en cinco generaciones de mujeres y hombres. Los resultados muestran un rápido incremento en la participación femenina en el mercado laboral, particularmente entre las mujeres con mayores niveles educativos. Sin embargo, la redistribución de las responsabilidades de cuidado doméstico avanza a un ritmo más lento, con percepciones tradicionales sobre los roles de género y normas sociales que persisten en el tiempo, sobre todo cuando hay niños en el hogar. Nuestro análisis sugiere que aún se requieren intervenciones sociales y de política pública para enfrentar estas desigualdades estructurales. |
| Keywords: | Gender, social norms, paid work, non-paid work, time-use, Género, normas sociales, trabajo remunerado, trabajo no remunerado, uso del tiempo |
| JEL: | J16 J22 J13 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdr:cheedt:66 |
| By: | Oded Galor; Daniel C. Wainstock |
| Abstract: | Is income inequality in the United States primarily driven by disparities between ethnic groups or within them? Contrary to conventional wisdom, this study uncovers a striking and transformative empirical regularity: an overwhelming 96% of contemporary inequality arises from disparities within groups sharing a common ancestral origin, dwarfing the comparatively minor contribution of inequality between groups. This extraordinary pattern persists across time, educational attainment, demographic characteristics, and geographic regions. The findings represent a shift in the empirical understanding of inequality in the United States, revealing that the deepest and most persistent economic divides run within, rather than between, ethnic communities. |
| Keywords: | inequality, ethnicity, within group inequality, between group inequality |
| JEL: | O15 Z13 D63 J15 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12245 |