Gender in the Labor Market: The Role of Equal Opportunity and Family-Friendly Policies

Abstract

Although the gender wage gap in the United States has narrowed, women’s career trajectories diverge from men’s after the birth of children, suggesting a potential role for family-friendly policies. We provide new evidence on employer provision of these policies. Using the American Time Use Survey, we find that women are less likely than men to have access to any employer-provided paid leave and this differential is entirely explained by part-time status. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, we find that young women are more likely to have access to specifically designated paid parental leave, even in part-time jobs. Both data sets show insignificant gender differentials in access to employer-subsidized childcare and access to scheduling flexibility. We conclude with a discussion of policy implications.

Keywords

• gender
• equal opportunity
• family-friendly policies