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The Labor Market Impacts of America's First Paid Maternity Leave

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  • Timpe, Brenden

Abstract

This paper provides new evidence on the effect of a national expansion of paid maternity leave on the labor-market outcomes of women in the United States. I develop an identification strategy that exploits the staggered expansion of paid leave through short-term disability insurance in the 1960s and 1970s. The policy expanded leave-taking among new mothers but also precipitated a decrease in hourly wages, employment, and family income among women of child-bearing age. The results suggest that even modestly generous, widespread expansions of paid family leave policies have the potential to widen gender gaps in the labor market.

Suggested Citation

  • Timpe, Brenden, 2022. "The Labor Market Impacts of America's First Paid Maternity Leave," SocArXiv 7qynt, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:7qynt
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/7qynt
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