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Using family policy to favour women’s employment and equality on the labour market has been a key component in the Nordic model for family policy. But what do we know about the causal relationships between family policy and equality on the labour market? This publication provides an overview of what the results of empirical economic research have to say about this. The focus is on the effects of family policy on women’s employment.
THE NORDIC COUNTRIES have a high level of equality in an international comparison. Using family policy to favour women’s employment and equality on the labour market has been a key component in the Nordic model for family policy. But what do we know about the causal relationships between family policy and equality on the labour market? This publication provides an overview of what the results of empirical economic research have to say about this. The focus is on the effects of family policy on women’s employment.
THERE MIGHT BE A NEGATIVE SIDE TO THE LONG PARENTAL LEAVE IN SWEDEN. There are indications that a long parental leave contributes to create a glass ceiling on the labour market. Employers might be less inclined to promote women to key positions due to the long interruptions in their career when having children.
CHILD CARE ALLOWANCE. The child care allowance delays mothers’ return to work. Moreover, they have a lower labour income in the year after they used the child care allowance.
MORE EXTENSIVE CHILD CARE FOR SMALL CHILDREN MIGHT SERVE TO INCREASE THE EQUALITY. Access to childcare for children aged below 2 can, in particular, contribute to women’s employment. Swedish politicians might consider replacing part of the long parental leave with access to pre-school care at younger ages.
AUTHOR Julian Vedeler Johnsen, PhD in Economics, University of Bergen. E-mail: Julian.Johnsen@uib.no.
Katrine Vellesen Løken, Professor of Economics, University of Bergen. E-mail: Katrine.Loken@uib.no.
