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Early Maternal Employment and Child Development in Five OECD Countries

Author

Listed:
  • María del Carmen Huerta

    (OECD)

  • Willem Adema

    (OECD)

  • Jennifer Baxter

    (Australian Institute of Family Studies)

  • Miles Corak

    (University of Ottawa)

  • Mette Deding

    (Danish National Institute of Social Research)

  • Matthew C. Gray

    (Australian National University)

  • Wen-Jui Han

    (Columbia University)

  • Jane Waldfogel

    (Columbia University)

Abstract

More mothers with young children are in paid work than in the past. There is a long-running debate on possible negative effects of maternal employment on child development. For the first time, this paper presents an initial comparative analysis of longitudinal data on maternal employment patterns after birth on child cognitive and behavioural development. The paper examines data of five OECD countries with different types and intensity of support provided to families to reconcile work and family life. The evidence suggests that a return to paid work by mothers within six months after childbirth may have negative effects on child outcomes, particularly on cognitive development, but the effects are small and not universally observed. Other factors such as family income, parental education and quality of interaction with children have greater influences on child development than early maternal employment per se. Beaucoup plus de mères de jeunes enfants exercent aujourd’hui un emploi rémunéré qu’avant. Un débat ancien existe sur les effets potentiellement négatifs du travail maternel sur le développement de l'enfant. Pour la première fois, cet article présente une analyse comparative de données longitudinales concernant la relation de l'emploi maternel après la naissance sur le développement cognitif et comportemental de l'enfant. Le document examine les données de cinq pays de l'OCDE avec des soutiens aux familles pour concilier travail et vie de famille d’intensité et de types différents. Les résultats suggèrent qu'un retour au travail rémunéré par des mères dans les six mois après l'accouchement peut avoir des effets négatifs sur les résultats de l'enfant, notamment sur le développement cognitif, mais les effets sont petits et observés de façon non universelle. D'autres facteurs comme le revenu de la famille, l'éducation des parents et la qualité de l'interaction avec les enfants ont une plus grande influence sur le développement de l'enfant que le travail maternel en soi.

Suggested Citation

  • María del Carmen Huerta & Willem Adema & Jennifer Baxter & Miles Corak & Mette Deding & Matthew C. Gray & Wen-Jui Han & Jane Waldfogel, 2011. "Early Maternal Employment and Child Development in Five OECD Countries," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 118, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:elsaab:118-en
    DOI: 10.1787/5kg5dlmtxhvh-en
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Liming & Avendano, Mauricio, 2023. "Lone parents' employment policy and adolescents’ socioemotional development: Quasi-experimental evidence from a UK reform," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    2. Olivier Thévenon & Angela Luci, 2012. "Reconciling Work, Family and Child Outcomes: What Implications for Family Support Policies?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(6), pages 855-882, December.
    3. Bauchmüller R., 2013. "Centre-based versus home-based childcare," MERIT Working Papers 2013-026, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    4. Barigozzi, Francesca & Cremer, Helmuth & Roeder, Kerstin, 2020. "Having it all, for all: Child-care subsidies and income distribution reconciled," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 188-211.
    5. Thérèse McDonnell, 2016. "Non-cognitive development in infancy: the influence of maternal employment and the mediating role of childcare," Working Papers 201606, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    6. Lauber, Verena & Thomas, Lampert, 2014. "The Effect of Early Universal Daycare on Child Weight Problems," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100399, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Barigozzi, Francesca & Cremer, Helmuth & Roeder, Kerstin, 2018. "Women's career choices, social norms and child care policies," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 162-173.
    8. Heather Joshi, 2016. "Why do we need longitudinal survey data?," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 308-308, November.
    9. Adema, Willem, 2012. "Setting the scene: The mix of family policy objectives and packages across the OECD," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 487-498.
    10. Volker Ziemann, 2015. "Towards more gender equality in Austria," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1273, OECD Publishing.
    11. Pia S. Schober & C. Katharina Spieß, 2014. "Local Day-Care Quality and Maternal Employment: Evidence from East and West Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 649, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    12. Thérèse McDonnell, 2016. "Non-Cognitive Development in Early Childhood: The Influence of Maternal Employment and the Mediating Role of Childcare," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 47(4), pages 499-541.
    13. Amir Salimiha & Francisco Perales & Janeen Baxter, 2018. "Maternal employment and children’s socio-emotional outcomes: an Australian longitudinal study," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(9), pages 1089-1098, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    behavior problems; birth cohort studies; childcare; cognitive development; maternal employment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General
    • 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

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