Gender norms and labor market effects
of having children

The study is based on data referring to women with a background from different parts of the world, immigrated before the age of 10 or were born in Sweden to foreign parents. The figure shows the evolution of income of the women from the time of the first child relative to the expected evolution if they had not had children. The values at the bottom right in each group show the decline in income over the first 10 years (in percent) after the birth of the first child. Group 1 has a background in the least equal countries, group 12 in the most equal countries.

Family formation affects women more than men

The research shows that family formation has a major impact on women's position in the labor market. Both earned income and employment are affected over a long period. In Sweden, unlike most other countries, there are also some effects on men, but much less than for women.

Similarities despite the different backgrounds

Women, after the birth of their first child, lose out in the labor market at roughly the same rate although with different backgrounds from different parts of the world. But the effects are slightly larger for those from the least equal countries, suggesting that gender norms linked to background play a role. The fact that the effects are generally so similar could mean that common institutions and norms have a major impact regardless of background.

Source: Karimi A, A Sundberg and O Åslund (2024) “Origin, Norms, and the Motherhood Penalty”, in Sundberg A Essays in Labor Economics: Parenthood, Immigration, and Education

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