Award Category
Social Sciences
Publication Date
2023
Abstract
Paid family leave (PFL) policies worldwide have long been associated with a number of positive impacts, from improvements to infant and maternal health to increasing women’s labor market attachment. However, PFL has also been shown to increase unemployment rates among women compared to women in areas without paid family leave. This paper models unemployment after the 2008 introduction of PFL in New Jersey. The model finds no significant impacts on women’s unemployment in New Jersey compared with other similar states. Given a number of other papers demonstrating negative employment impacts, as well as confounding factors caused by increased unemployment rates during the 2008 Great Recession and 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the actual effects on unemployment are unclear. These results are augmented with a discussion on how paid paternity leave may reduce any negative impacts that do exist. Using Sponton (2023)’s framework of non-demand, non-awareness, and non-orientation to characterize uptake disparities, the discussion section recommends an ideal paternity leave policy design.
Faculty Advisor
Lea Fortmann
Course
ECON 411: Senior Thesis Seminar