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Research ArticleArticle

Grandmothers’ Labor Supply

Wolfgang Frimmel, Martin Halla, Bernhard Schmidpeter and Rudolf Winter-Ebmer
Published online before print August 13, 2020, 0419-10144R1; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.58.1.0419-10144R1
Wolfgang Frimmel
Wolfgang Frimmel is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market. Martin Halla (corresponding author: ) is Full Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn, and the Austrian Public Health Institute GÖG, Vienna. Bernhard Schmidpeter is Researcher the RWI, Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Essen. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn. Rudolf Winter-Ebmer is Full Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn, the Institute for Advanced Studies IHS, Vienna, and the Centre for Economic Policy Research CEPR in London.
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Martin Halla
Wolfgang Frimmel is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market. Martin Halla (corresponding author: ) is Full Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn, and the Austrian Public Health Institute GÖG, Vienna. Bernhard Schmidpeter is Researcher the RWI, Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Essen. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn. Rudolf Winter-Ebmer is Full Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn, the Institute for Advanced Studies IHS, Vienna, and the Centre for Economic Policy Research CEPR in London.
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Bernhard Schmidpeter
Wolfgang Frimmel is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market. Martin Halla (corresponding author: ) is Full Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn, and the Austrian Public Health Institute GÖG, Vienna. Bernhard Schmidpeter is Researcher the RWI, Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Essen. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn. Rudolf Winter-Ebmer is Full Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn, the Institute for Advanced Studies IHS, Vienna, and the Centre for Economic Policy Research CEPR in London.
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Rudolf Winter-Ebmer
Wolfgang Frimmel is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market. Martin Halla (corresponding author: ) is Full Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn, and the Austrian Public Health Institute GÖG, Vienna. Bernhard Schmidpeter is Researcher the RWI, Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Essen. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn. Rudolf Winter-Ebmer is Full Professor of Economics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. He is also affiliated with the Christian Doppler Laboratory Aging, Health and the Labor Market, the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA, Bonn, the Institute for Advanced Studies IHS, Vienna, and the Centre for Economic Policy Research CEPR in London.
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Abstract

We use high-quality administrative data from Austria to estimate the effect of grandmotherhood on the labor supply decision of older workers. Assuming that grandmothers cannot predict the exact date of conception of their grandchild, we identify the effect of the first grandchild on employment. Our Timing-of-Events approach shows that a first grandchild increases the probability of leaving the labor market by 9 percent. This effect is stronger when informal childcare is more valuable, and when grandmothers live close to the grandchild. To assess the effect of an additional grandchild, we also use twin-births among the first grandchild as instruments.

JEL codes
  • J13
  • J14
  • J22

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Journal of Human Resources: 60 (3)
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Grandmothers’ Labor Supply
Wolfgang Frimmel, Martin Halla, Bernhard Schmidpeter, Rudolf Winter-Ebmer
Journal of Human Resources Aug 2020, 0419-10144R1; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.58.1.0419-10144R1

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Grandmothers’ Labor Supply
Wolfgang Frimmel, Martin Halla, Bernhard Schmidpeter, Rudolf Winter-Ebmer
Journal of Human Resources Aug 2020, 0419-10144R1; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.58.1.0419-10144R1
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Keywords

  • J13
  • J14
  • J22
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