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The role of mothers on female labour force participation: an approach using historical parish records

Author

Listed:
  • Jesús M. Carro

    (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

  • Matilde P. Machado

    (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

  • Ricardo Mora

    (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

Abstract

Using Portuguese parish data from 1675 to 1925, we estimate the relationship between a mother’s participation in the labour force and that of her daughter. We adapt a methodology to prevent bias that originates from potentially non-random missing data. Ignoring the missingness process results in substantial downward-biased estimates of the relationship, even for a proportion of missing values as low as 20 per cent. In contrast, our methodology yields unbiased estimates regardless of the proportion of missing values. We document the existence of a strong, positive association between the mother’s participation and that of her daughter long before the twentieth century’s substantial changes in education and the labour market

Suggested Citation

  • Jesús M. Carro & Matilde P. Machado & Ricardo Mora, 2023. "The role of mothers on female labour force participation: an approach using historical parish records," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(3), pages 1345-1384, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:65:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s00181-023-02370-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-023-02370-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Female labour force participation; Intergenerational transmission; Historical family data; Church registry data; Non-ignorable missingness; Econometric methods for missing data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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