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The Roots of Low European Employment : Family Culture?

Author

Listed:
  • Yann Algan

    (ECON - Département d'économie (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Pierre Cahuc

    (X-DEP-ECO - Département d'Économie de l'École Polytechnique - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris)

Abstract
OECD countries faced largely divergent employment rates during the last decades. But the whole bulk of the cross-national and cross-temporal heterogeneity relies on specific demographic groups: prime-age women and younger and older individuals. This paper argues that family labor supply interactions and cross-country heterogeneity in family culture are key for explaining these stylized facts. First we provide a simple labor supply model in which heterogeneity in family preferences can account for cross-country variations in both the level and the dynamics of employment rates of demographic groups. Second, we provide evidence based on international individual surveys that family attitudes do differ across countries and are largely shaped by national features. We also document that cross-country differences in family culture cause cross-national differences in family attitudes. Studying the correlation between employment rates and family attitudes, we then show that the stronger preferences for family activities in European countries may explain both their lower female employment rate and the fall in the employment rates of young and older people.

Suggested Citation

  • Yann Algan & Pierre Cahuc, 2005. "The Roots of Low European Employment : Family Culture?," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-01065597, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:spmain:hal-01065597
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://sciencespo.hal.science/hal-01065597
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    employment rate; culture; family attitudes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General
    • D19 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Other

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