Full Citation

Title: Parental Labor Supply and Investments into Children

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 2023

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Abstract: This thesis explores the intricate relationships between fertility, labor supply, and wage outcomes for women, with a particular focus on the implications for mothers. Utilizing a range of methodological approaches, the research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how fertility and parenting decisions shape economic outcomes and contribute to existing wage disparities. The first chapter employs an instrumental variable approach, using twin births at first parity, to investigate the causal impact of fertility on the labor supply of married women. The second chapter builds on this by dissecting the "motherhood penalty" in wages, employing a dynamic life-cycle model to examine how this penalty varies by educational attainment. The third chapter adopts a continuous-time optimal control theory and Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman partial differential equations to model the joint processes of child ability and human capital accumulation. This chapter offers insights into how mothers balance the trade-offs between career development and child-rearing. Across these diverse yet interconnected studies, the thesis contributes to the existing literature by offering a nuanced and methodologically rigorous exploration of the economic implications of fertility and parenting decisions. The findings have significant policy implications, particularly in areas related to gender equality, labor market regulation, and family planning.

Url: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2884027481?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true

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Authors: Kalanatha Bhatta, Rahul

Institution: New York University

Department: Economics

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Pages: 1-85

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Family and Marriage, Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Reproductive and Sexual Health

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