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Human capital depreciation during family-related career interruptions in male and female occupations

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  • Görlich, Dennis
  • De Grip, Andries

Abstract

This study investigates the relation between human capital depreciation during family-related career interruptions and occupational choice of women in the (West) German labour market. In contrast to other studies that do not explicitly focus on family-related career interruptions, we find that short-term human capital depreciation during these career interruptions is significantly lower in female occupations than in male occupations. This holds for both high- and low-skilled occupations. Our findings support the self-selection hypothesis with respect to occupational sex segregation, i.e., women might deliberately choose female occupations because of lower short-term wage penalties for family-related career interruptions. Moreover, we find that particularly men employed in high-skilled male occupations face large short-run as well as long run wage penalties when they have a family related career break.

Suggested Citation

  • Görlich, Dennis & De Grip, Andries, 2007. "Human capital depreciation during family-related career interruptions in male and female occupations," Kiel Working Papers 1379, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:1379
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    Cited by:

    1. Schönberg, Uta, 2009. "Does the IAB employment sample reliably identify maternity leave taking? : a data report," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 42(1), pages 49-70.
    2. Derek T. Tharp & Elizabeth J. Parks-Stamm, 2021. "Gender Differences in the Intended Use of Parental Leave: Implications for Human Capital Development," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 47-60, March.
    3. Katrin Sommerfeld, 2009. "Older Babies - More Active Mothers? How Maternal Labor Supply Changes as the Child Grows," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 129(2), pages 227-240.
    4. Bianca Buligescu & Lex Borghans & Didier Fouarge, 2020. "The impact of occupational segregation on occupational gender pay gap in the European union," Journal of Community Positive Practices, Catalactica NGO, issue 4, pages 86-111.
    5. Harris, Jorgen, 2022. "Do wages fall when women enter an occupation?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    6. Christina Boll, 2011. "Mind the gap—German motherhood risks in figures and game theory issues," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 363-382, December.
    7. repec:iab:iabfme:200803(en is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Müller, Kathrin, 2009. "Employment growth in newly established firms: is there evidence for academic entrepreneur's human capital depreciation?," ZEW Discussion Papers 09-050, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    9. Schönberg, Uta, 2008. "Does the IABS reliably identify maternity leave taking?," FDZ Methodenreport 200803_en, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    10. Peter Schneider & Dieter Sadowski, 2008. "The impact of New Public Management (NPM) instruments on PhD education," IAAEG Discussion Papers until 2011 200803, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Occupational segregation; GSOEP; Parental leave; Skills obsolescence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation

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