When Is the Best Time to Give Birth?

Arbeitspapier

Using Bayesian Markov chain clustering analysis we investigate career paths of Austrian women after their first birth. This data-driven method allows characterizing long-term career paths of mothers over up to 19 years by transitions between parental leave, non-employment and different forms of employment. We, thus, classify women into five cluster-groups with very different long-run career costs of childbearing. We model group membership with a multinomial specification within the finite mixture model. This approach gives insights into the determinants of the long-run family gap. Giving birth late in life may lead very diverse outcomes: on the one hand, it increases the odds to drop out of labor force, and on the other hand, it increases the odds to reach a high-wage career track.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 8396

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
• Subject: Multinomial Logit ; Markov Chain Monte Carlo ; Transition Data ; family gap ; timing of birth ; fertility ; Panel Data

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Frühwirth-Schnatter, Sylvia ; Pamminger, Christoph ; Weber, Andrea ; Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2014

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/101923
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET