The winding road back to the labor market: Labor market return and job change of mothers after the birth of a first child

Women's careers in Germany are strongly shaped by employment interruptions following child birth. This article examines the duration of employment interruption and job changes after the birth of a first child, employing the occupational characteristics of the job held before the family related break as central predictors. In line with economic theory of labor supply and the theory of social production function, we argue that mothers compare the benefits of family time and the benefits of employment before they decide to return to the labor market. The empirical analysis uses data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and reveals that psychological strains in the job held before the birth increase the likelihood of a job change after a family-related break. A high income before the birth accelerates women's return to the labor market without a job change.