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After-School Care and Parents' Labor Supply

Author

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  • Christina Felfe
  • Michael Lechner
  • Petra Thiemann

Abstract

Does after-school care provision promote mothers’ employment and balance the allocation of paid work among parents of schoolchildren? We address this question by exploiting variation in cantonal (state) regulations of after-school care provision in Switzerland. To establish exogeneity of cantonal regulations with respect to employment opportunities and preferences of the population, we restrict our analysis to confined regions along cantonal borders. Using semi-parametric instrumental variable methods, we find a positive impact of after-school care provision on mothers’ full-time employment, but a negative impact on fathers’ full-time employment. Thus, the supply of after-school care fosters a convergence of parental working hours.

Suggested Citation

  • Christina Felfe & Michael Lechner & Petra Thiemann, 2013. "After-School Care and Parents' Labor Supply," CESifo Working Paper Series 4487, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_4487
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    childcare; parents' labor supply; semi-parametric estimation methods;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General

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