To work or not to work: The economics of a mother's dilemma

Arbeitspapier

Utilizing linked vital statistics, administrative employer, and state welfare records, the analysis in this paper investigates the determinants of a woman's intermittent labor force decision at the time of a major life event: the birth of a child. The results indicate that both direct and opportunity labor market costs of exiting the workforce figure significantly into that decision. Further, the analysis reveals the importance of including information about the mother's prebirth job when making inferences about the role various demographics play in the intermittent labor force decision.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper ; No. 2011-2

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Time Allocation and Labor Supply ; Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth ; Value of Life; Forgone Income ; Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡
• Subject: labor supply behavior ; intermittent ; labor market exit ; labor leisure choice model

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Hotchkiss, Julie L. ; Pitts, M. Melinda ; Walker, Mary Beth
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
• (where): Atlanta, GA
• (when): 2011

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/70761
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET