Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics
SOFI Working Papers in Labour Economics,
Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research
No 9/2026: Parenting Skills and Selection into Fatherhood
Lina Aldén () and Anne Boschini ()
Additional contact information
Lina Aldén: Department of Economics and Statistics, Linnaeus University
Anne Boschini: Swedish Institute for Social Research
Abstract: As women’s earnings have risen and parental leave policies expanded, social expectations for paternal involvement have grown, potentially shifting the basis of fatherhood from economic provision toward parenting skills. Using Swedish administrative data and a sibling fixed-effects design, we find that non-cognitive ability, a key dimension of parenting skills, has become a stronger predictor of fatherhood over time among men with comparable earnings and marital histories. Exploiting a 2002 reform that expanded reserved paternity leave, we further demonstrate that heightened expectations for paternal involvement amplified this selection.
Keywords: Men; fertility; ability; parenting skills; earnings; marriage; parental leave
Language: English
65 pages, June 22, 2026
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