Research carried out at IFS and published today by the Department for Work and Pensions investigates how and when differences in work behaviour between men and women develop, focusing on the evolution of the gender gaps immediately after childbirth and during the initial years of family development.
The study uses a large sample of families and a comparison sample containing individuals over all stages of the lifetime, including before, throughout and after family formation.
The report concludes that childbirth and a child entering school at age four or five are found to be critical times in women's employment.
Authors
Mike Brewer
Gillian Paull
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