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The gendered impacts of delayed parenthood on educational and labor market outcomes: a dynamic analysis of population-level effects over young adulthood

Author

Listed:
  • Jessica Nisén

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

  • Maarten J. Bijlsma

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

  • Pekka Martikainen

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

  • Ben Wilson
  • Mikko Myrskylä

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

Abstract

Later parenthood is often beneficial for women, but less is known about its impact on men. As first births continue to occur later in life, it is important to understand whether this delay influences the educational and labor market outcomes of women and men differently, and how it changes the socioeconomic characteristics of children’s parents at birth. However, education, employment, and fertility are linked, implying that complex models are required in order to analyze the time-varying impacts of delayed parenthood. We use dynamic longitudinal models and Finnish data to analyze how, and through which socioeconomic mechanisms, a material delay in parenthood is likely to influence educational and labor market outcomes over young adulthood. A three-year delay in young-adult parenthood for all women increases educational enrollment in their early 20s, employment in their late 20s, and partly due to higher education income in their 30s. The impact of the same delay for men is more modest, and almost negligible for their employment, suggesting that later parenthood exacerbates the educational advantage of women and attenuates the income advantage of men. However, it strengthens the socioeconomic standing of both men and women when they become parents, essentially due to the accumulation of effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Jessica Nisén & Maarten J. Bijlsma & Pekka Martikainen & Ben Wilson & Mikko Myrskylä, 2019. "The gendered impacts of delayed parenthood on educational and labor market outcomes: a dynamic analysis of population-level effects over young adulthood," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2019-017, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2019-017
    DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2019-017
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    Cited by:

    1. Nisén, Jessica & Tassot, Johanna & Iacoella, Francesco & Eibich, Peter, 2024. "Does Early Timing of First Birth Lead to Lower Earnings in Midlife in Britain?," IZA Discussion Papers 17494, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Jessica Nisén & Johanna Tassot & Francesco Iacoella & Peter Eibich, 2022. "The effect of fertility timing on women’s earnings at midlife in the UK," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2022-021, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.

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    Keywords

    Finland; education; gender; labor market; longitudinal analysis; parenthood;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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