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IZA
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The Impact of Family-Friendly Policies in Denmark and Sweden on Mothers' Career Interruptions Due to Childbirth
by
Elina Pylkkänen, Nina Smith
(March 2004)
Abstract:
We analyze the impact of family-friendly policies on women's career breaks due to childbirth
in Denmark and Sweden. In both countries, the labour force attachment of mothers is high,
and more than 90% of the women return to work after childbirth. Sweden and Denmark are
culturally similar and share the same type of welfare state ideology, but differ remarkably in
pursued family policies. The impact of family policy variables on the probability of returning to
the labour market is estimated using a duration model approach. Our results show that
economic incentives and leave periods of the fathers affect the behaviour of mothers in both
countries. However, family policy instruments are found to have a much larger impact on
Swedish mothers' behaviour compared to Danish women. We explain this finding by the fact
that family-friendly policies in Sweden have focused much more on flexible leave schemes
and on the shared responsibilities of the parents than in Denmark.
Text: See Discussion Paper No. 1050 
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