The Impact of Parental Leave Statutes on Maternal Return to Work after Childbirth in the United States

Sandra L. Hofferth and Sally C. Curtin
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Sandra L. Hofferth: University of Maryland
Sally C. Curtin: University of Maryland

No 7, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers from OECD Publishing

Abstract: Although new mothers are more likely than ever to be in the labour force, the time around childbirth is a dynamic one, with women quitting work altogether or changing jobs to accommodate the demands of their infants. The passage of Family and Medical Leave legislation during the 1980s and early 1990s may have altered incentives for employment among mothers of young children. This paper will examine whether the FMLA or prior state-legislated leave packages were associated with changes in the continuity of employment for mothers following childbirth, changes in return to their previous employer, and changes in their post-return versus pre-return earnings. Data come from the 1984-1997 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and its 1997 Child Development Supplement. Women who had a child post-FMLA return to work more quickly than those whose child was born prior to the FMLA, controlling for demographic factors and the state economic situation. Women who return are also more likely ... Les mères qui viennent d’avoir un enfant sont plus que jamais susceptibles d’occuper un emploi, mais la période qui précède et qui suit cette naissance est une période d’évolution, certaines femmes arrêtant de travailler ou changeant d’emploi pour mieux concilier leurs obligations professionnelles et maternelles. Il se peut que la promulgation de la législation sur les congés de maladie et les congés pour raison familiale (Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA) pendant les années 1980 et au début des années 1990 ait eu une incidence sur les incitations à travailler des mères de jeunes enfants. Ce document s’efforce de determiner si la FMLA ou les dispositions relatives aux congés adoptées antérieurement par les Etats ont induit des changements dans la continuité de l’emploi des mères après une naissance, leur retour auprès de leur précédent employeur et leur rémunération avant et après leur retour au travail. Les données sont tirées des séries recueillies de 1984 à 1997 dans le cadre du …

JEL-codes: J1 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003-05-21
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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