Work

Worktime Regulations and Spousal Labor Supply

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: We study interdependencies in spousal labor supply by exploiting the design of the French workweek reduction, which introduced exogenous variation in one's spouse's labor supply, at constant earnings. Treated employees work on average two hours less per week. Husbands of treated women respond by reducing their labor supply by about half an hour, consistent with substantial leisure complementarity, and specifically cut the nonusual component of their workweek, leaving usual hours unchanged. Women's response to their husband's treatment is instead weak and rarely statistically significant, possibly due to heavier constraints in the organization of their workweek. (JEL J16, J22, K31)

Source: American Economic Review

DOI: 10.1257/aer.104.1.252

Authors: Dominique Goux, Eric Maurin, Barbara Petrongolo

Institutions: Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique, Paris School of Economics, Queen Mary University of London, London School of Economics and Political Science

Language: English

Topic: Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Economic and Social Research Council