Erwerbstätigkeit von Frauen: Studie: Kinderbetreuung erhöht Einkommen von Müttern

A recent study conducted by the Nuremberg Institute for Labor and Vocational Research (IAB) has found that expanding childcare in Germany significantly contributes to women working more after childbirth and earning higher incomes in the long run. The research examined how regional variations in public childcare for children under three impact the employment trajectories of mothers.

The positive effects on maternal earnings persist even after the children leave the kindergarten age. Lisa-Marie Duletzki, an IAB researcher, stated that early childcare also influences mothers' long-term career development, as they tend to work full-time more frequently and engage less in low-wage, short-term jobs. Mothers continue to bear the majority of childcare responsibilities post-birth, often reducing their work activity, which can result in long-term income losses.

The study revealed that since the parental leave reform in 2007, mothers have achieved higher incomes, with 56 percent of the overall reduction in earnings losses attributed to the expansion of childcare.