The Liberalization of Maternity Leave Policy and the Return to Work after Childbirth in Germany

Posted: 10 Jan 2000

See all articles by Gert G. Wagner

Gert G. Wagner

German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin); Berlin University of Technology; German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP)

Jan Ondrich

Syracuse University - Center for Policy Research

C. Katharina Spiess

Federal Institute for Population Research; Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Qing Yang

German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin)

Date Written: September 1998

Abstract

German federal law has increased the potential duration of maternity leave five times since 1985. A theretical model is presented that demonstrates that the return to work hazard rate declines as potential duration cannot decline unless the mother's employment conditions or career expectations can change. Return to work hazards are estimated from the German Socio-Economic Panel for women bearing children in Germany in the period 1984-1991. The estimates are used to predict hazards and cumulative return probabilities for the first-time mothers and mothers with a previous birth. As potential duration increases, the cumulative return rate pattern at potential duration is consistent with the hypotheses that employment conditions of career expectations frequently change for mothers taking longer leaves.

JEL Classification: J13

Suggested Citation

Wagner, Gert G. and Ondrich, Jan and Spiess, C. Katharina and Yang, Qing, The Liberalization of Maternity Leave Policy and the Return to Work after Childbirth in Germany (September 1998). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=166553

Gert G. Wagner (Contact Author)

German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) ( email )

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Berlin, 10117
Germany
+49 30 8 978 9290 (Phone)
+49 30 8 978 9200 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.diw.de/programme/jsp/MA.jsp?language=en&uid=gwagner

Berlin University of Technology ( email )

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Berlin, 10623
Germany
+30 8 978 9283 (Phone)

German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) ( email )

DIW Berlin
10108 Berlin, Berlin
Germany
+49 30 8978 9290 (Phone)
+49 30 8978 9109 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.diw/en/soep

Jan Ondrich

Syracuse University - Center for Policy Research ( email )

Maxwell School of Citizenship 426 Eggers Hall
Syracuse, NY 13244
United States

C. Katharina Spiess

Federal Institute for Population Research ( email )

Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 4
Wiesbaden, Hessia 65185
Germany

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Saarstr. 21
Jakob Welder-Weg 4
Mainz, 55122
Germany

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Qing Yang

German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin)

Mohrenstraße 58
Berlin, 10117
Germany

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