The potential impact of childbirth on women's commute time and labour market participation: a cohort analysis

Abstract

Women are reported to have lower commute times and labour market participation (LMP) than men, reflecting gender inequality in the labour market. While progress in workplace gender equality and a more equitable distribution of household responsibilities are expected to reduce this gap, certain biological life events, such as childbirth, may continue to disproportionately impact women's LMP and commute times. This study examines the temporal effect of childbirth on women's LMP and commute time while controlling for individual, period, and cohort effects. We use the longitudinal survey of Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) to analyse historical trends in the gender gap across four cohorts of Post-War, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials and quantify the impact of childbirth on women's LMP and commute time. The results show that the gender gap exists in LMP and commute time across all the investigated generations, nevertheless, the gap has decreased for younger generations. Childbirth reduces women's LMP and commute time by up to 82.3 % and 45.8 %, respectively. The adverse effect of childbirth on LMP and commute time diminishes over time. However, even 12 months after childbirth, LMP and commute time do not fully revert to their pre-childbirth levels.