Gender gap in reported childcare preferences among parents

0578928 - NHÚ 2024 RIV CZ eng V - Research Report
Pertold, Filip - Sinani, S. - Šoltés, M.
Gender gap in reported childcare preferences among parents.
Prague: CERGE-EI, 2023. 16 s. CERGE-EI Working Paper Series, 770. ISSN 2788-0443
Institutional support: RVO:67985998
Keywords : childcare * gender wage gap * gender employment gap
OECD category: Applied Economics, Econometrics
https://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp770.pdf

The child penalty explains the majority of gender employment and wage gaps, however, less is known about the factors driving the child penalty itself. In this paper, we study the gender gap in childcare preferences as a potential factor that contributes to the child penalty. We surveyed Czech parents and elicited the minimal compensation they would require to stay home to care for a child. Mothers require less compensation for childcare than fathers. The estimated gender gap in childcare preferences is CZK 2,500 monthly, 7.6% of the median female wage, and cannot be explained by differences in labor market opportunities or prosocial motives to care for a family member. We further document widespread misperception of fathers’ preferences, as respondents incorrectly expect fathers to require less to care for a child than to care for an elderly parent.

Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0347833