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Female Labor Supply, Human Capital and Welfare Reform

Author

Listed:
  • Richard Blundell

    (University College London)

  • Monica Costa Dias

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies and CEF-UP at the University of Porto)

  • Costas Meghir

    (Cowles Foundation, Yale University)

  • Jonathan Shaw

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies and University College London)

Abstract

We estimate a dynamic model of employment, human capital accumulation � including education, and savings for women in the UK, exploiting policy changes. We analyze both the incentive effects and the welfare implications of tax credits and income support programs and we account for their insurance value. We find important incentive effects on education choice and labor supply, with single mothers having the most elastic labor supply. Returns to experience increase with education, but experience only accumulates when in full-time employment. Finally, marginal increases in tax credits are preferred to equally costly income support or to tax cuts.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Blundell & Monica Costa Dias & Costas Meghir & Jonathan Shaw, 2013. "Female Labor Supply, Human Capital and Welfare Reform," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1892R, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, revised Apr 2015.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:1892r
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Female labor supply; Welfare reform; Tax credits; Education choice; Dynamic discrete choice models; Life cycle models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H3 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents
    • 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

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