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The family working-time model: Towards more gender equality in work and care

Author

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  • Müller, Kai-Uwe
  • Neumann, Michael
  • Wrohlich, Katharina
Abstract
Since the millennium, the labour market participation of women and mothers is increasing across European countries. Several work/care policy measures underlie this evolution. At the same time, the labour market behaviour of fathers, as well as their involvement in care work, is relatively unchanging, meaning that employed mothers are facing an increased burden with respect to gainful employment and providing care. We propose a family working-time model that incentivizes fathers and mothers to both work in extended part-time employment. It provides a benefit in the form of a lump-sum transfer or income replacement for each parent if, and only if, both parents work 30 hours/week. Thus, it explicitly addresses fathers and – contrary to most conventional family policies – actively promotes the dual earner/dual carer paradigm. Combining microsimulation and labour supply estimation, we empirically analyse the potential of the family working-time model in the German context. The relatively small share of families already choosing the symmetric distribution of about 30 working hours would increase by 60 percent. By showing that a lump-sum transfer especially benefits low-income families, we contribute to the debate about redistributive implications of family policies. The basic principles of the model generalize to other European countries where families increasingly desire an equal distribution of employment and care. In order to enhance the impact of such a policy, employers’ norms and workplace culture as well as the supply of high-quality childcare must catch up with changing workforce preferences.

Suggested Citation

  • Müller, Kai-Uwe & Neumann, Michael & Wrohlich, Katharina, 2018. "The family working-time model: Towards more gender equality in work and care," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 28(5), pages 471-486.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:222477
    DOI: 10.1177/0958928717753581
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    15. Kai-Uwe Müller & Michael Neumann & Katharina Wrohlich, 2013. "Bessere Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf durch eine neue Lohnersatzleistung bei Familienarbeitszeit," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 80(46), pages 3-11.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ulrike Huemer & Julia Bock-Schappelwein & Ulrike Famira-Mühlberger & Hedwig Lutz & Christine Mayrhuber, 2017. "Österreich 2025 – Arbeitszeitverteilung in Österreich. Analyse und Optionen aus Sicht der Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 59285.
    2. Filip Pertold & Sofiana Sinani & Michal Soltes, 2023. "Gender Gap in Reported Childcare Preferences among Parents," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp770, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    3. Océane Bertrand & Maxime Fontaine & Thomas Hausmann, 2021. "Réduire le temps de travail pour améliorer l’emploi des moins qualifiés ?Une évaluation socio-économique ex-ante du passage à la semaine de 4 jours au sein de l’Agence Bruxelles-Propreté," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/338537, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    care work; family policy; gender quality; labour supply;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy

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