Loading Events

Giulia Dotti Sani

7 November 2013 @ 14:00

 

  • Past event

Details

Date:
7 November 2013
Time:
14:00
Event Category:

“Within-Couple Inequality in Earnings and the Relative Motherhood Penalty. A Cross-National Study of European Countries”

abstract

While much research has focused on the difference in earnings between childless women and men, mothers and fathers, somewhat less is known on the difference in earnings between women and their partners. This article investigates within couple earnings inequality in the event of a childbirth in different institutional settings. Two research questions are addressed: 1) Does a childbirth lead to a more unequal earning balance within couples? 2) Can mothers compensate this loss through alternative sources of income? Fixed effects panel models on EU-SILC (2004-2008) data from 8 European countries show that having a child negatively affects women’s share of earnings in all countries. However, when family allowances are accounted for, the magnitude of the relation is reduced, indicating that women may strategically opt for non labor sources of income when these are available.