Paid maternity Leave and Women’s Labour Force Participation
Working paper | Evidence from recent policy changes in 17 countries
About
Paid maternity leave is regarded as an important policy lever to improve maternal and child health, as well as women’s labour force participation. This paper investigates the effect of maternal policy leave reforms on labour force participation by women aged 20-39 years in 17 countries that have extended paid maternity leave to at least 14 weeks between 2000 and 2019. We find that extending maternity leave periods to the minimum 14-week threshold, as recommended by the International Labour Organization, generates limited effects on aggregate female labour force participation rates. This aligns well with established theoretical predictions regarding the duration of maternity leave and women’s labour force participation. We conclude that addressing women’s labour force participation will require a more holistic shits in policy and gender norms.
