From homemakers to breadwinners? How mandatory kindergarten affects maternal labour market outcomes

TL;DR

This study investigates how mandatory kindergarten in Switzerland influences mothers' employment, finding it significantly increases employment among previously non-employed mothers but has no effect on others.

Contribution

It provides causal evidence using a regression discontinuity design on the impact of free, mandatory kindergarten on maternal labor market outcomes.

Findings

4 percentage point increase in employment among non-employed mothers

No significant effect on other groups or overall maternal employment

Uses administrative data and a regression discontinuity approach

Abstract

The majority of Swiss children attend mandatory and cost-free kindergarten at four. We examine the effect of this policy on maternal labour market outcomes. Using administrative data, we exploit the birthday cut-off for kindergarten entry in the same or in the following year and apply a non-parametric regression discontinuity design (RDD). We find that mandatory kindergarten has a statistically significant positive effect on the labour market attachment of previously non-employed mothers, increasing their employment probability by 4 percentage points. In contrast, there are no significant effects on other groups or in the total sample of mothers.