Fired and pregnant: Gender differences in job flexibility outcomes after job loss

Jordy Meekes and Wolter H. J. Hassink
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Wolter H. J. Hassink: Utrecht University, Utrecht University School of Economics

Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series from Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne

Abstract: We study whether women and men cope with job loss differently, focusing on the importance of workers’ job flexibility and household setting. Our empirical analysis is based on Dutch administrative monthly microdata over the period 2006-2017 using a quasi-experimental design involving job loss because of firm bankruptcy. We find for displaced women, but not for displaced men, a persistence in job flexibilities involving limited working hours and short commuting distance. Relative to men, women experience longer unemployment and a slightly smaller hourly wage loss after job loss, suggesting that displaced women trade off job flexibilities to longer job search without widening the gender pay gap. Also, we show that women who are pregnant when job loss occurs experience large losses in employment and conditional on re-employment take up a highly flexible job. Policy advice is to protect pregnant women against the consequences of dismissal due to firm bankruptcy.

Keywords: job loss; gender; job flexibility; household; pregnancy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 J22 J31 J32 J6 R2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 64pp
Date: 2020-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hrm
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Working Paper: Fired and Pregnant: Gender Differences in Job Flexibility Outcomes after Job Loss (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2020n03

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