2016年-世界发展银行全球_Effect_of_Lengthening_the_School_Day_on_Mothers_Labor_Supply_41页_859kb

Summary of "Effect of Lengthening the School Day on Mother's Labor Supply"

Core Content

This working paper investigates the effect of extending the school day on the labor supply of mothers in Chile, particularly focusing on single mothers. The study uses a quasi-experimental approach based on the implementation of the Full School Day (FSD) program, introduced in 1996, which increased the school day from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The paper analyzes how this policy change, which implicitly provides more childcare services, affects the labor participation and employment decisions of mothers.

Main Viewpoints

• Policy Context: The FSD program was implemented to improve educational quality and equality by extending classroom hours and recess/lunch times without extending the school year. The reform was not random and was more likely to be adopted in municipalities with higher socioeconomic vulnerability.

• Labor Market Context: Despite progress in gender equality, women in Chile, especially those in lower-income brackets, continue to face challenges in balancing work and family. Female labor participation increased from 35% in 1990 to 49% in 2011, but disparities persist between different socioeconomic groups.

• Target Group: The study focuses on single mothers with children aged 8–13 years and no younger children, as these are the mothers most likely to benefit from the increased availability of childcare services.

• Key Findings:

  • A 5% increase in labor participation and employment rates is estimated for single mothers with eligible children (8–13 years old) who have no younger children.
  • No significant labor supply responses are detected among other groups of mothers, including those with younger children or married mothers.
  • The effect is attributed to the increased availability of childcare, but the reform's timing is not fully compatible with standard working hours, which may explain the relatively small impact.

• Methodology:

  • The study uses a difference-in-differences (DD) and triple difference (DDD) approach to estimate the causal effect of FSD on labor supply.
  • The DDD model helps to control for municipality-specific shocks and time-varying effects, using mothers with slightly younger children as a control group.

Key Information

FSD Implementation

• The FSD program was implemented gradually from 1997 to 2011.
• By 2011, 80% of primary schools had adopted FSD, with significant regional variation.
• The program was more likely to be implemented in rural and lower-income areas.

Data Sources

• CASEN Survey: Provides data on maternal labor supply, demographics, and socioeconomic status.
• Administrative Data: From the Ministry of Education, covering enrollment and school structure from 1998 to 2011.

Demographics of the Sample

• The study focuses on women aged 25–55, as they are more likely to be mothers of 8–13 year-olds.
• Single mothers are distinguished from married mothers based on household structure.
• Single mothers tend to have more years of schooling, lower poverty rates, and are more likely to live in urban areas.

Labor Supply Trends

• Labor participation and employment rates increased across all groups over the 20-year period.
• The increase was more pronounced for married mothers in 2000, possibly due to broader economic changes.
• Mothers with younger children showed lower employment levels, likely due to the need for additional childcare.

Robustness Checks

• The study addresses potential biases by using a DDD model, which controls for time and municipality fixed effects.
• It also examines the exogeneity of the reform, considering whether the policy influenced school choice or maternal labor decisions.
• The findings are consistent with other studies that show little effect of childcare availability on married mothers' labor supply.

Conclusion

The extension of the school day in Chile had a positive and significant effect on the labor participation and employment of single mothers with no younger children. However, it had no significant impact on married mothers or those with younger children. The results highlight the importance of considering the specific characteristics of different groups of mothers when evaluating the impact of childcare-related policies on labor supply. The study also underscores the role of institutional factors, such as the availability and cost of childcare, in shaping women's labor market decisions.