6533b823fe1ef96bd127eb49
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Locus of Control and Mothers' Return to Employment
Eva M. BergerLuke Haywoodsubject
Labour economicsmedia_common.quotation_subject05 social scienceseducationDifferential (mechanical device)language.human_languageGermanLocus of controlMaternity leave0502 economics and businesslanguageChildbirthPersonalityDemographic economicsDuration data050207 economicsWage growthPsychologyGeneral Economics Econometrics and FinanceEconomic consequences050205 econometrics media_commondescription
This paper investigates the effect of locus of control (LOC) on the length of mothers’ employment break after childbirth. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), duration data reveals that women with an internal LOC return to employment more quickly than women with an external LOC. We find evidence that this effect is mainly related to differential appreciation of the career costs of longer maternity leave. Given the high level of job protection enjoyed by mothers in Germany, economic consequences of differences in this non-cognitive skill can be expected to be larger in other settings.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-12-01 | SSRN Electronic Journal |