Employment after motherhood: a European comparison

This paper studies women's transitions from employment to nonemployment after first birth in Belgium, West Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden. It also investigates the evolution of post-birth employment over the period 1973-1993, and how this is related to different policies across countries. Results show that Spain and West Germany are the countries with the lowest staying-on rates in the labour market after childbearing. Over time, Spanish mothers increased their probability of post-birth employment, but the opposite occurred in West Germany. The shift towards a separate taxation system, the increase in education and part-time employment explain these trends in post-birth employment.