Men's and Women's Workforce Transitions following Childbearing in France

Ariane Pailhe, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Anne Solaz, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)

This paper explores the relationship between childbearing and employment by examining the workforce transitions after childbearing, and so changes over time in these transitions are also evaluated. It compares both partners’ transitions after childbearing. The aim is to consider what factors are associated with a higher maternal/paternal attachment to work (human capital variables, marital status, partner’s characteristics, occupational status). The data set used here comes from the Family and Employer survey conducted by INED in 2004-2005. We use both descriptive and multivariate analysis (multinomial logit and time event history analysis). Childbearing has a grater impact on mothers than on fathers’ careers. Moreover, for women the higher the rank of birth, the higher the impact of childbearing on activity. Human capital is found to be an important determinant of women’s transitions out of work on childbearing and on the return to work.