Maternal Employment and Adolescent Risky Behavior

Alison Aughinbaugh, U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS)
Maury Gittleman, U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS)

Previous examinations of the impact of maternal employment on children have usually focused on young children. In this study, we examine the relationship between maternal employment and risky behavior by adolescents using the NLSY79 Young Adult Supplement. We analyze the link between mothers' employment measured early in life and during adolescence and the decisions of children to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, use marijuana, and to engage in sexual activity. Characteristics of the mother that are not measured may affect both employment and her influence on the likelihood that the child engages in risky behaviors. Further, maternal employment will be tied to decisions such as those affecting marital status or spousal employment that may also influence or be influenced by child behavior. We explore three approaches to addressing these econometric issues: (1) inclusion of a wide range of controls for maternal characteristics, (2) instrumental variables, and (3) fixed effects.