Preschool Availability and Female Labor Force Participation : Evidence from Indonesia
At 50.9 percent, female labor force participation in Indonesia is far below the regional average of 60.8 percent. Is it being hindered by a lack of affordable childcare services in the country? This paper exploits the joint variations in preschool...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/393431561484915075/Preschool-Availability-and-Female-Labor-Force-Participation-Evidence-from-Indonesia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/31980 |
| Summary: | At 50.9 percent, female labor force
participation in Indonesia is far below the regional average
of 60.8 percent. Is it being hindered by a lack of
affordable childcare services in the country? This paper
exploits the joint variations in preschool age eligibility
and access to preschool across regions and over years in a
difference-in-difference-in-differences framework. With a
longitudinal survey that tracks individuals for an average
of 22 years, a panel of mothers was constructed to estimate
the elasticity of maternal employment to preschool access.
The analysis finds that an additional public preschool per
1,000 children increases the work participation of mothers
of preschool age eligible children by 11-16 percent from the
baseline mean. Private preschools do not increase work
participation at the extensive margin, but they increase the
likelihood of holding a second job. The availability of
preschools induces mothers to informal sector occupations
that do not require full-time commitments. |
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