School Hours and Maternal Labor Supply. (18th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shure, Nikki
• Is Part Of: Kyklos. Volume 72:Number 1(2019:Feb.)
• Page Start: 118
• Page End: 151
• Publication Date: 2019-01-18
• Subjects: Social sciences -- Periodicals; 300
• DOI: 10.1111/kykl.12195
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0023-5962

Abstract

Summary: This paper examines the effect of extending the primary school day on maternal labor supply. I exploit the staggered nature of the recent German reform to extend school hours and assess whether or not gaining access to a full day school increases the likelihood that mothers enter into the labor market or extend their hours worked if already employed. I use the German Socio‐Economic Panel data set (GSOEP) and link it to a self‐collected school‐level data set with geographical information software (GIS). Using a flexible difference‐in‐difference approach in the estimation of linear probability and logit models, I find that the policy has a statistically significant effect of approximately five percentage points at the extensive margin, drawing more women into the labor market. I find no significant effect of the policy at the intensive margin; women who were already working do not extend their hours worked. This has implications for policies to extend the school day that do not correspond to the working day.