Pregnancy in the Paint and the Pitch: Does Giving Birth Impact Performance?

Harris Jill S. () and Berri David J. ()
Additional contact information
Harris Jill S.: Department of the Air Force, United States Air Force Academy, HQ/USAFA DFEG, 2354 Fairchild Drive Suite 6K-110, USAF Academy, CO 80840-6238, USA
Berri David J.: 2312 Southern Utah University , Cedar City, USA

Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), 2024, vol. 244, issue 5-6, 495-512

Abstract: We examine the impact of giving birth on athletic performance of players in the Women’s National Basketball Association. Using data from media reports and National Womens Basketball Players Association records we specify a productivity model and use a differences-in-means approach to investigate. We do not find any impact of giving birth on player performance in the sample. In the wake of the Gunnarsdottir maternity leave decision against Club Lyon, this research could help inform league policies concerning maternity leave and also contribute to the broader conversation about gender discrimination in the workplace based on perceptions of productivity before and after giving birth.

Keywords: worker productivity; pregnancy; elite athlete performance; motherhood penalty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I13 J23 J24 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1515/jbnst-2024-0054 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:244:y:2024:i:5-6:p:495-512:n:1011

DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2024-0054

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik) is currently edited by Peter Winker

More articles in Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik) from De Gruyter
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Peter Golla ().