Dynamic model of childbearing and labor force participation of married women: Empirical evidence from Korea and Japan

The purpose of this study is the empirical investigation of childbirth behavior and labor-force participation of married women in South Korea and Japan. A dynamic discrete choice model is estimated using microdata from household surveys in South Korea and Japan. Estimation results suggest that: (1) only a second child is beneficial and others are not in the case of Korea, although any child is beneficial in the case of Japan; (2) nursing a newborn is considerably costly; (3) without considering an earnings effect, low-earnings jobs are costly in both countries, although high-earnings jobs are beneficial in Japan; and (4) the probability of finding a full-time position for married women after career interruption is estimated as 5-28%.