Parenthood and Productivity of Highly Skilled Labor: Evidence from the Groves of Academe

Matthias Krapf, Heinrich Ursprung and Christian Zimmermann

No 7904, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We examine the effect of pregnancy and parenthood on the research productivity of academic economists. Combining the survey responses of nearly 10,000 economists with their publication records as documented in their RePEc accounts, we do not find that motherhood is associated with low research productivity. Nor do we find a statistically significant unconditional effect of a first child on research productivity. Conditional difference-in-differences estimates, however, suggest that the effect of parenthood on research productivity is negative for unmarried women and positive for untenured men. Moreover, becoming a mother before 30 years of age appears to have a detrimental effect on research productivity.

Keywords: life cycle; research productivity; gender gap; research productivity; fertility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I23 J13 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 64 pages
Date: 2014-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem and nep-lab
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Published - published in:Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2017, 140, 147-175

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Related works:
Journal Article: Parenthood and productivity of highly skilled labor: Evidence from the groves of academe (2017)
Working Paper: Parenthood and Productivity of Highly Skilled Labor: Evidence from the Groves of Academe (2014)
Working Paper: Parenthood and productivity of highly skilled labor: evidence from the groves of academe (2014)
Working Paper: Parenthood and Productivity of Highly Skilled Labor: Evidence from the Groves of Academe (2014)
Working Paper: Parenthood and Productivity of Highly Skilled Labor: Evidence from the Groves of Academe (2014)
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