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Title: The Role of Public Policy in the Decisions of Parents and Caregivers: An Examination of Work, Fertility, and Informal Caregiving
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2018
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Abstract: This study examines how paid leave in the United States shapes working parents’ decisions along the family dimension of work-family interface. Specifically, I use data from the Current Population Survey, 1999 to 2009, and a difference-in-differences approach to estimate the impact of California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program on fertility behavior and whether the effect varies across socioeconomic status. Results indicate there is a positive effect of the policy on the probability a 25 to 40-year-old woman had a baby in the last year, which is equivalent to a 6.0 percent increase in birth likelihood after the PFL’s enactment. For women working fulltime, PFL increased birth likelihood by 7.6 percent. There is evidence of heterogeneity of stronger effect among women with earnings in the 25th to 75th percentile, high school graduates, and women in their 30s. In combination with previous research highlighting positive effects of PFL on labor market outcomes, these findings suggest the policy helps families combine work and childbearing.
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Authors: Thunell, Johanna
Institution: University of Southern California
Department: PUBLIC POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
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Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Family and Marriage
Countries: United States