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Childcare and Maternal Employment: Evidence from Vietnam

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  • Dang, Hai-Anh H

    (World Bank)

  • Hiraga, Masako

    (World Bank)

  • Nguyen, Cuong Viet

    (National Economics University Vietnam)

Abstract

Little literature currently exists on the effects of childcare use on maternal labor market outcomes in a developing country context, and the few recent studies offer mixed results. We attempt to fill these gaps by analyzing several latest rounds of the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey spanning the early to mid-2010s. Addressing endogeneity issues with a regression discontinuity estimator based on children's birth months, we find a sizable effect of childcare attendance on women's labor market outcomes, including their total annual wages, household income, and poverty status. The effects of childcare attendance differ by women's characteristics and are particularly strong for younger, more educated women. Furthermore, we also find that childcare has a medium-term effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Dang, Hai-Anh H & Hiraga, Masako & Nguyen, Cuong Viet, 2019. "Childcare and Maternal Employment: Evidence from Vietnam," IZA Discussion Papers 12814, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12814
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    2. Nguyen, Cuong, 2019. "Simulation of the Costs and Benefits of Delayed Retirement: Evidence from Vietnam," MPRA Paper 106180, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Nguyen, Cuong Viet & Tarp, Finn, 2023. "Cash Transfers and Labor Supply: New Evidence on Impacts and Mechanisms," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1243, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Cuong Viet Nguyen, 2022. "The effect of preschool attendance on Children's health: Evidence from a lower middle‐income country," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(8), pages 1558-1589, August.
    5. Cuong Nguyen & Anh Tran, 2020. "Are children an incentive or a disincentive for migration? Evidence from Vietnam," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(3), pages 467-485, July.
    6. Balasubramanian, Pooja & Ibanez, Marcela & Khan, Sarah & Sahoo, Soham, 2024. "Does women's economic empowerment promote human development in low- and middle-income countries? A meta-analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
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    8. Kozhaya, Mireille, 2022. "The double burden: The impact of school closures on labor force participation of mothers," Ruhr Economic Papers 956, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    9. Semih Tumen & Belgi Turan, 2023. "The effect of fertility on female labor supply in a labor market with extensive informality," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(4), pages 1855-1894, October.
    10. Mieke Meurs & Maigul Nugmanova & Aizhan Salimzhanova & Stevie Marvin, 2021. "Gender Regime and Women’s Employment in Kazakhstan," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 63(4), pages 603-622, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    maternal employment; child care; gender equality; women's empowerment; Vietnam;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • O0 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - General

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