Discussion Papers no. 899

Effects of extended paternity leave on union stability and fertility

Long paternity leaves have the potential for lasting effects on parental unions, potentially reducing specialization and increasing union stability and fertility.

We put these hypotheses to a causal test, using an extension of the Norwegian parental leave father's quota from 6 to 10 weeks as a source of exogenous variation in fathers' leave uptake. We implement a Regression Discontinuity design, using full population data from Norwegian administrative registers of parents of children in a four-month window around the reform (N = 9 757). The reform significantly increased the amount of leave taken by fathers by about three weeks and reduced the amount of leave taken by mothers. Neither union stability, fertility nor his or her subsequent earnings were affected by the reform.

About the publication

Title

Effects of extended paternity leave on union stability and fertility

Author

Rannveig K. Hart, Synøve N. Andersen and Nina Drange

Series and number

Discussion Papers no. 899

Publisher

Statistisk sentralbyrå

Topic

Discussion Papers

ISSN

1892-753X

Number of pages

64

About Discussion Papers

Discussion papers comprise research papers intended for international journals and books. A preprint of a Discussion Paper may be longer and more elaborate than a standard journal article as it may include intermediate calculations, background material etc.

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