Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Paper Series,
IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy

No 2025:11: Women's labor market opportunities and equality in the household

Erik Grönqvist (), Yoko Okuyama (), Lena Hensvik () and Anna Thoresson ()
Additional contact information
Erik Grönqvist: Department of Medical Sciences, Health Economics, Centre for Health Economic Research (HEFUU) and Uppsala Center for Labor Studies (UCLS), Uppsala University.
Yoko Okuyama: Department of Economics, UCLS, and Uppsala Center for Fiscal Studies (UCFS), Uppsala University
Lena Hensvik: Department of Economics and UCLS, Uppsala University
Anna Thoresson: Reykjavik University, Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy (IFAU) and UCLS, Uppsala University.

Abstract: We study how changes in couples’ relative wages affect the division of childcare. Using a nationwide wage reform that raised pay in the female-dominated teaching profession, we find that closing 25% of the earnings gap between female teachers and their male spouses led to a 12% reduction in the childcare time gap. This result holds when we extend the analysis to major pay raises for women at the population level. Data support the mechanism that women reduce their childcare time when the spouse can step in by working more from home. Policies that address female pay can foster household equality if men have access to flexible work arrangements.

Keywords: Household behavior; Childcare responsibility; Gender gaps; Working from home

JEL-codes: D13; J16; J22

Language: English

57 pages, June 27, 2025

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