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Child Gender, Intergenerational Kinship and Parental Labor Market Outcomes

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  • Qing Wang

Abstract

This paper provides new evidence of the effects of child gender on parental labor market outcomes. Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, I document a son premium on the intensive margin of parental labor supply in two-parent families with one child. Parents with a newborn to a 6-year-old son have higher labor supply than parents with a daughter in the same age group. A further examination indicates that boys are likely to have better access to grandparent-provided childcare than girls owing to grandson preference, and this allows parents with a preschool-aged son to work more. The intensification of market work associated with having a son may affect economic outcomes over the lifecycle of parents through labor market attachment. This paper thus sheds light on the important distributional effects of family ties and culture on economic outcomes.

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  • Qing Wang, 2015. "Child Gender, Intergenerational Kinship and Parental Labor Market Outcomes," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(4), pages 892-907, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:rdevec:v:19:y:2015:i:4:p:892-907
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    Cited by:

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    2. Wang, Qing & Lin, Mengyun, 2019. "Work-family policy and female entrepreneurship: Evidence from China's subsidized child care program," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 256-270.
    3. Rao, Ziwei & Zhang, Yi, 2024. "Rely on children or work longer? The impact of fertility and child gender on old-age labor supply," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).

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