If Not Now, When? The Timing of Childbirth and Labour Market Outcomes

Matteo Picchio, Claudia Pigini, Stefano Staffolani and Alina Verashchagina ()

No 11270, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We study the effect of childbirth and its timing on female labour market outcomes in Italy. The impact on yearly labour earnings and participation is traced up to 21 years since school completion by estimating a factor analytic model with dynamic selection into treatments. We find that childbearing, especially the first delivery, negatively affects female labour supply. Women having their first child soon after school completion are able to catch up with childless women only after 12–15 years. The timing matters, with minimal negative consequences observed if the first child is delayed up to 7–9 years after exiting formal education.

Keywords: dynamic treatment effect; discrete choice models; fertility; female labour supply; factor analytic model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C33 C35 J13 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 35 pages
Date: 2018-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem and nep-edu
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published - published in: Journal of Applied Econometrics, 2021, 36 (6), 663-685

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Related works:
Journal Article: If not now, when? The timing of childbirth and labor market outcomes (2021)
Working Paper: If not now, when? The timing of childbirth and labour market outcomes (2018)
Working Paper: If not now, when? The timing of childbirth and labour market outcomes (2018)
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