Negotiating Gender, Work, and Family: Gendered Consequences of Family Leave Taking

Penelope M. Huang, University of Washington

This study examines the gendered effects of leave-taking on wages over time. Classical human capital theory suggests and research indicates that wages decrease as time spent out of the labor market increases. While it is normative for women to take time off from work to care for family needs, men's leave-taking may be more scrutinized by employers, and they may suffer larger wage penalties as a result. On the other hand, if women continue to disproportionately take family leave, wage inequalities will persist as a consequence of normative gendered expectations in the family and in the workplace. This study employs longitudinal data from the NLSY (1982-1998), organized into a pooled cross-section time series. Using a partial-adjustment differential equation model, changes in wage trajectories over time may be estimated as a function of human capital, marital and family status, and tenure on the job. Gender differences are examined, and policy implications discussed.