The motherhood trap: how the first child shapes couples' labour trajectories

Martina Querejeta

No wp-2026-102, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: This paper examines how the first child reshapes couples' labour supply and specialization using matched administrative data from birth certificates and labour registries in Uruguay. An event study design shows an 8% decline in dual-earner couples—those in which both parents are working—driven by a persistent shift toward male-breadwinner arrangements. Mothers' share of the income of the couple remains 6% below its pre-birth level five years after childbirth, while total couple income largely recovers.

Keywords: child penalty; Intra-household allocation; Gender norms; Human fertility; Developing countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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