The Lisbon Process and European Women at Work Political Economy and Social Policy of Western Europe Indiana University, Bloomington November 11, 2005 Tito Boeri Bocconi University and Fondazione Debenedetti, Milan
Dec 28, 2015
The Lisbon Process and European Women at Work
Political Economy and Social Policy of Western Europe
Indiana University, Bloomington
November 11, 2005
Tito BoeriBocconi University and Fondazione Debenedetti, Milan
Outline
• Some stylized facts
• Lisbon and Beyond
• How can the Lisbon strategy be improved? Who should do what?
Outline
• The stylized facts
• Lisbon and Beyond
• How can the Lisbon strategy be improved? Who should do what?
The stylized facts
• Decline in the gender employment gap
• Still large gender wage gap
• Larger wage gaps for older cohorts
Decline in gender employment gapFemale participation rate in European countries
Male participation rate in European countries
Evolution of the gender wage ratio
0102030405060708090
100
per
cent 1985
1998
Larger wage gaps for older cohorts
Relative female/male hourly earnings by age group
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
per
cen
t
age 25-34 age 45-54
Outline
• The stylized facts
• Lisbon and Beyond
• How can the Lisbon strategy be improved? Who should do what?
Catching up with Lisbon?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Female Overall
Female Target Overall Target
Womenization of labour force:
Risks
1. More competition: women vs men for a historically given number of jobs
2. Less time to childcare
3. Decrease of fertility rate
1. More competition women vs men for a historically given number of jobs
Real Risk?
No, sooner or later women at work become complementary to men employment
2. Less time to childcare
Employment rate for women and average family day care spending per employed woman
Real Risk?
3. Decrease of fertility rates
Women’s employment rates and fertility in Europe
Real Risk?
Possible interpretation:
• Changes in social norms towards working mothers
• Specific social policies:• Greater availability of childcare
• Greater opportunities fo flexible work
Positive relationship between participation and fertility
Proportion of children using childcare.
Childcare availability and fertility
Job flexibility and fertility
Social customs: reported reasons for low use of formal childcare in Italy
Should mothers stay at home?In your opinion, what should mothers of young children do?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Leave temporarily the labour market to lookafter their children full time, until they are 2
years old?
Go back to work as soon as possible aftermotherhood and leave children (also under 2
years old) to private or public childcare ?
Don't know
All respondents Only women Only families with children
Men, rich, low-educated and housewives want mothers to stay at home
Percentage change in the probability of preferring full time care giver mothers
-0.2 -0.15 -0.1 -0.05 0 0.05 0.1 0.15
Men
housewife
children in the family
third level education
primary level education
rich
In order to go to Lisbon, we should…In your opinion, which of the following initiatives would be more useful to mothers
with children up to 2 years old?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
A longer maternity leave(also for temporary
contracts)
More possibilities to workpart-time
Employer-providedkindergarten
Vouchers for payingkindergarten
More and better kindergarten
All respondents Only women Only families with children
How much would you pay for improving quality and quantity of kindergarten availability for families with children up to 2 years old?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Nothing, Idon't thinkthis is auseful
service
Nothing,because I'm
notinterested inthis matter
Less than50 euros
from 50 to100 euros
From 100 to200 euros
From 200 to300 euros
From 300 to400 euros
From 400 to500 euros
From 500 to1000 euros
more than1000 euros
All respondents Only women Only families with children
Private provision? Affordable?Mothers of young children should leave them to: private kindergarten
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
from 1033 to 1549 euros/month from 1549 to 2066 euros/month more than 2066 euros/month
All respondents Only women Only families with children
Conclusion
• It is mainly preferences!• Preferences may change, but not that
rapidly • Young today do not think much differently
than older people; it will take a generation for preferences to change?
• Research on social norms: men with working mothers are more likely to be married to working women….
What to do meanwhile to reduce the work/children trade-off?
• Extension of public childcare may be less important than
- Extended m(p)aternity leave
- Flexibility in hours also for part-timers
- Kindergarten in firms
- Childcare vouchers for poor families
- and….