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Title: For Better, For Worse: The Effect of Maternity Leave Policy on Divorce Rates

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 2018

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Abstract: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 was implemented with the goal of helping employees better balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons, including the birth and care of a newborn child. Prior to 1993, maternity leave legislation in the United States varied from state to state. The implementation of the FMLA thus created a “natural experiment” via which we can study the effect of the law on divorce across states. We postulate that increased maternity leave reduces stress in the household after the birth of a child, leading to greater marital satisfaction and reducing the likelihood of divorce. Using data from the March Current Population Survey (CPS) and difference-in-difference techniques, we examine the effect of the FMLA on divorce rates at the state level. Results indicate that the FMLA had a negative and statistically significant effect on divorce rates in all states for women with a child aged between 5 and 18 years, with the effect being greatest in states mandating short maternity leave pre-FMLA. When sample weights are applied, a negative and statistically significant effect is observed only for those states having no maternity legislation and those states mandating short maternity leave pre-FMLA.

Url: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1284&context=hc_sas_etds

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Authors: Forde, Toni, S

Institution: Hunter College

Department: Economics

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Pages: 44

Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Family and Marriage

Countries: United States