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Family policy and couples’ labour supply: an empirical assessment

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  • Ross Guest
  • Nick Parr
Abstract
This paper empirically examines the effect on couples’ labour supply of a universal at-birth cash benefit and a government subsidy equal to 50% of child care expenditure for working parents. The method is first to simulate the effects on labour supply over the adult lifecycle using a calibrated dynamic utility maximisation model of a representative couple, using data drawn from waves of a longitudinal survey for Australia. Then using the same data, the effect of family benefits and the child care subsidy on couples’ hours worked is econometrically estimated. The 50% child care subsidy was found to increase the average couple’s labour supply by the equivalent of 0.75 to 1 h per week whilst children are of pre-school age, and less on average over the couple’s working lifetime. The cash benefit changes were found to have a negligible effect on labour supply. Copyright Springer-Verlag 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Ross Guest & Nick Parr, 2013. "Family policy and couples’ labour supply: an empirical assessment," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 26(4), pages 1631-1660, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:26:y:2013:i:4:p:1631-1660
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-012-0421-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Nick Parr & Ross Guest, 2020. "Migrant Age Profiles and Long‐Run Living Standards in Australia," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 53(2), pages 183-197, June.
    2. Chiara Natalie Focacci, 2020. "“You reap what you sow”: Do active labour market policies always increase job security? Evidence from the Youth Guarantee," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 49(3), pages 373-429, June.
    3. Regina T. Riphahn & Frederik Wiynck, 2017. "Fertility effects of child benefits," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(4), pages 1135-1184, October.
    4. Christoph Zangger & Janine Widmer & Sandra Gilgen, 2021. "Work, Childcare, or Both? Experimental Evidence on the Efficacy of Childcare Subsidies in Raising Parental Labor Supply," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 449-472, September.
    5. Sheruni De Alwis & Nick Parr & Fei Guo, 2020. "The Education–Occupation (Mis)Match of Asia-Born Immigrants in Australia," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(3), pages 519-548, June.
    6. Hernández Alemán, Anastasia & León, Carmelo J. & Márquez-Ramos, Laura, 2017. "The Effect of the Universal Child Care Cash Benefit on Female Labour Supply in Spain /Efecto de la prestación monetaria universal para el cuidado de hijos en la oferta de trabajo femenina en España," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 35, pages 801-818, Agosto.
    7. Milovanska-Farrington, Stefani, 2019. "The effect of family welfare support on the likelihood of having another child and parents’ labor supply," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(3), pages 243-263.
    8. Tadeusz Zienkiewicz & Aleksandra Zalewska & Ewa Zienkiewicz, 2023. "Spatial Diversity and Impact of Selected Factors on Women’s Labour Force Participation Rate in Poland during 2000–2020," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-16, August.
    9. Nick Parr & Ross Guest, 2014. "A method for socially evaluating the effects of long-run demographic paths on living standards," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 31(11), pages 275-318.
    10. Meekes, Jordy & Hassink, Wolter H.J., 2022. "Gender differences in job flexibility: Commutes and working hours after job loss," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labour supply; Child care; Family benefits; J13; J18; J22;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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