Working Papers in Economics,
University of Bergen, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper investigates the determinants of the labour supply of first-time mothers in Norway. By considering three groups of women—native Norwegian women, women who migrated from OECD countries and Asian-African women—we study the variation in their labour supply. Given that the women were working before childbirth, we do not find significant differences in the labour supply of the three groups of women. Our results illustrate that after the birth of a child, university education increases the probability of career continuity for natives, as well as for the two groups of immigrants, although women who remain attached to the labour market earn a lower income after childbirth. However, the negative effect of childbirth on earned income for career-oriented women has no association with the level of their education. Our results indicate a negative change in earned income for lower- as well as higher-educated native and immigrant women given that they stay in the labour market after childbirth. We also study the probability of entering the labour force after childbirth for women who were not working before childbirth. Here we find that immigrant women from Asia and Africa behave differently compared with natives and OECD immigrants. Our results illustrate that higher-educated native as well as immigrant mothers from OECD countries tend to enter the labour market within two years after childbirth even though they were previously not working. On the other hand, in labour market entry for Asian-African immigrants, it is the husbands’ income that plays a significant role and has a negative effect on their labour supply.

Keywords: Childbirth; female labour supply; immigrant; native women

JEL-codes: J01; J15

27 pages, August 1, 2006

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