Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Mothers’ labor force participation rose dramatically during the latter half of the 20^thcentury and remains at high levels today. Yet policies to support new mothers through maternity leaves and labor market re-entry have long been insufficient. Mothers typically take time off after their child is born, but the amount of time is dictated by economic necessity and childcare availability rather than concerns about family life or career. This paper examines how the timing of new mother’s re-entry into the labor force is associated with mothers’ earnings trajectories and child behavior through age 15. We aim to understand whether a certain length of time out of the workforce is associated with the steepest earnings trajectories and best behavioral outcomes for their children.

Data

We use six waves of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FF), a birth cohort study of about 5,000 children born in large US cities between 1998 and 2000 with a 3:1 oversample of births to unmarried parents. These data are nationally representative when weighted. This younger cohort reflects births to mothers who were more likely than their predecessors to be in the workforce, particularly after having children. Additionally, the study sampled cities based on the generosity of policy regimes, making these data particularly unique.

Analytic Strategy

First, we descriptively examine which mothers go back to work, in what capacities (e.g., full- or part-time), and when. Because the FF data are nationally representative when weighted, these statistics will provide important insight into mothers’ labor force re-entry. Next, we utilize growth curve models to predict mothers’ earnings and children’s behaviors from ages 3 to 15 based on the timing of mothers’ re-entry into the labor force. Lastly, we explore whether these relationships differ by the policy regimes in the cities in which the mothers had the focal child.

Preliminary Findings

Among the three quarters of women who returned to work within the first year, the average was 4 months after their child’s birth. Results differed by mothers’ marital status at the child’s birth, with unmarried/non-cohabiting mothers most likely to return (80%), followed by cohabiting (75%) and married (67%): Married women’s returns clustered in months 2 and 3, whereas cohabiting and unmarried/non-cohabiting mothers had a more even distribution of entrances across the first three months and a more gradual trickle back into the workforce thereafter.

Policy Implications

These analyses will provide insight into mothers’ timing of re-entry into the labor force and whether there is a particular window of time associated with beneficial outcomes for mothers and children. By identifying these relationships, this research can help inform policies that would facilitate that amount of time out of the labor force.