The Impact of Protective Measures for Female Workers

Policies designed to protect female workers have controversial effects on labor market outcomes, both in theory and in practice. The analysis uses repeated cross‐sections of household survey data for Taiwan to estimate the impact of working‐hours restrictions and maternity benefits. Differential cov...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of labor economics 2003-07, Vol.21 (3), p.533-555
Main Authors: Zveglich, Jr, Joseph E., Rodgers, Yana van der Meulen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Data analysis
Demography
Economic theory
Economics
Employment
Employment policy
Enforcement
Factories
Female employees
Households
Industrial relations
Labor law
Labor market
Labor markets
Labor standards
Labor supply
Labour market flexibility
Legislation
Manufacturing
Maternity & paternity leaves
Maternity benefits
Maternity leave
Men
Overtime
Overtime pay
Protectionism
Provisions
Regulation
Sex crimes
Sex discrimination
Studies
Surveys
Taiwan
Wages
Wages & salaries
Women
Women workers
Work hours
Workers
Working hours
Working women
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Summary:Policies designed to protect female workers have controversial effects on labor market outcomes, both in theory and in practice. The analysis uses repeated cross‐sections of household survey data for Taiwan to estimate the impact of working‐hours restrictions and maternity benefits. Differential coverage across industrial sectors and demographic groups provides a unique opportunity to identify the impact of both policies in a single natural experiment framework. While working‐hours restrictions have a negative impact on women's actual hours worked and employment, maternity benefits increase these labor inputs, implying that women value the opportunity to return to jobs they might otherwise have to leave.
ISSN:0734-306X
1537-5307
DOI:10.1086/374958