(2024):
How National investments in childcare mitigate skills shortages and social inequalities in Europe.
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Addressing socioeconomic inequalities in employment–parenthood reconciliation is a key challenge in Europe. While European societies increasingly experience demographic pressures and skill shortages, working-age adults with children—especially women—are exposed to increased risks, such as skill downgrading, (partial) withdrawal from the labour market, and income loss. When exposure to these risks affects social groups unequally, transition into parenthood can lead to further exacerbation of pre-existing inequalities. Scholars have found that family policies can mitigate some of the negative childbirth effects on employment chances, but it is unclear whether family policies have equalising or stratifying consequences. The objective of this project is twofold. First, it seeks to understand the effect of childbirth on inequality dynamics across social classes in European societies. Second, it aims to assess the role of family policies in mitigating (or reinforcing) the post-childbirth inequality formation dynamics. Our analyses draw on longitudinal micro-level cross-national survey data combined with social policy data as well as three to four country cases.