The Effects of Paternity Leave on Parents and Children

Abstract

Paternity leave is often discussed as a family policy measure to encourage more gender equality both at home and in the labor market, but empirical evidence on its effects is scarce. In this paper we use the precise timing of the introduction of the paternal quota in Norway to evaluate the effects of paternity leave on parents and children. We find that paternity leave reduces fathers' earnings, but not that it benefits the labor market outcomes of mothers. On the contrary we document an adverse impact of paternity leave on maternal earnings and employment. For children, we find no effects of paternity leave on cognitive skills, measured as school performance at age 16.

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By Sara Cools, Jon H. Fiva and Lars Kirkebøen
Published Mar. 23, 2015 11:20 AM - Last modified Nov. 20, 2017 3:23 PM