Mothers’ Sorting into Lower-Paying Firms
利用法国雇主-雇员数据，研究发现母亲在生育后收入下降39%，其中企业工资溢价差异解释了10%的工资惩罚，原因是母亲转向低薪企业而非在企业内获得更低溢价。
<h3>Abstract</h3> Examining firm-specific wage premiums’ contribution to child-penalties, we find mothers experience 39% income decline relative to fathers following childbirth, with 9% hourly wage penalty. Using French employer-employee data (1995-2021), we show firm premiums account for 10% of wage penalty, from mothers sorting into lower-paying firms rather than receiving lower premiums within firms. After childbirth, mothers sort into firms offering characteristics more conducive to reconciling family and professional lives: part-time work and proximity to home. These findings suggest that addressing the child-penalty requires policies enabling mothers to apply to or remain in high-paying firms, rather than focusing solely on within-firm disparities.