The Influence of Young Children on Women's Employment Varies in Different Marital Statuses
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The Influence of Young Children on Women's Employment Varies in Different Marital Statuses

Zixuan Wang 1*
1 Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
*Corresponding author: Zixuan.Wang2202@student.xjtlu.edu.cn
Published on 14 October 2025
Journal Cover
AEMPS Vol.225
ISSN (Print): 2754-1177
ISSN (Online): 2754-1169
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-385-7
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-386-4
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Abstract

This paper quantifies how the presence of young children affects women’s employment in China and shows that the impact differs sharply by marital status. Using the 2018–2022 waves of the China Family Panel Studies, this study estimated separate heteroskedasticity-robust logit models for 2,599 married and 1,889 unmarried women aged 18–55. After controlling for education, cognitive ability, age, and residence, it can be found that having at least one co-resident child aged 1–5 lowers the probability of employment by 12 percentage points for married mothers but only 7 points for unmarried mothers; school-aged children (6–17) reduce employment by 5 and 6 points, respectively. Model diagnostics indicate good fit and discrimination, and a battery of robustness checks confirms the stability of the results. These findings contribute to broader debates on gender inequality and labor market participation in China, where rapid socioeconomic development coexists with persistent tensions between family responsibilities and women’s career opportunities.

Keywords:

Women’s employment, young children, logistic regression

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Wang,Z. (2025). The Influence of Young Children on Women's Employment Varies in Different Marital Statuses. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences,225,19-23.

References

[1]. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2023). Statistical bulletin on national economic and social development 2022 [EB/OL]. Beijing: NBS. Retrieved June 10, 2024, from http: //www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202302/t20230228_1919045.html

[2]. Kleven, H., Landais, C., Posch, J., Steinhauer, A., & Zweimüller, J. (2019). Child penalties across countries: Evidence and explanations. AEA Papers and Proceedings, 109, 122–126.

[3]. Waldfogel, J. (1998). Understanding the “family gap” in pay for women with children. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 12(1), 137–156.

[4]. Becker, G. S. (1991). A treatise on the family (Enlarged ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Retrieved from https: //www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674906990

[5]. Killewald, A., & Gough, M. (2013). Does specialization explain marriage penalties and premiums? American Sociological Review, 78(3), 477–502.

[6]. Lundberg, S. (2015). Partner resources and the child penalty: A resource-pooling perspective. Review of Economics of the Household, 13(2), 281–307.

[7]. Li, L., Song, Y., & Chen, X. (2022). Childbirth and women’s labour-market outcomes in China. China Economic Review, 71, 101720.

[8]. Zhang, Y. (2021). Motherhood and wages: New evidence from the CFPS. Economic Research Journal, 56(4), 102–118.

[9]. Hosmer, D. W., Lemeshow, S., & Sturdivant, R. X. (2013). Applied logistic regression (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

[10]. Mood, C. (2010). Logistic regression: Why we cannot do what we think we can do, and what we can do about it. European Sociological Review, 26(1), 67–82.

[11]. White, H. (1980). A heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator and a direct test for heteroskedasticity. Econometrica, 48(4), 817–838.

[12]. Blau, F. D., & Kahn, L. M. (2013). Female labor supply: Why is the United States falling behind? American Economic Review, 103(3), 251–256.

[13]. Morrill, M. S., & Pabilonia, S. W. (2020). What explains the gap in labor-force participation between married and unmarried mothers? Labour Economics, 65, 101857.

[14]. Guryan, J., Hurst, E., & Kearney, M. S. (2008). Parental education and parental time with children. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 22(3), 23–46.

References

[1]. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2023). Statistical bulletin on national economic and social development 2022 [EB/OL]. Beijing: NBS. Retrieved June 10, 2024, from http: //www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202302/t20230228_1919045.html

[2]. Kleven, H., Landais, C., Posch, J., Steinhauer, A., & Zweimüller, J. (2019). Child penalties across countries: Evidence and explanations. AEA Papers and Proceedings, 109, 122–126.

[3]. Waldfogel, J. (1998). Understanding the “family gap” in pay for women with children. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 12(1), 137–156.

[4]. Becker, G. S. (1991). A treatise on the family (Enlarged ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Retrieved from https: //www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674906990

[5]. Killewald, A., & Gough, M. (2013). Does specialization explain marriage penalties and premiums? American Sociological Review, 78(3), 477–502.

[6]. Lundberg, S. (2015). Partner resources and the child penalty: A resource-pooling perspective. Review of Economics of the Household, 13(2), 281–307.

[7]. Li, L., Song, Y., & Chen, X. (2022). Childbirth and women’s labour-market outcomes in China. China Economic Review, 71, 101720.

[8]. Zhang, Y. (2021). Motherhood and wages: New evidence from the CFPS. Economic Research Journal, 56(4), 102–118.

[9]. Hosmer, D. W., Lemeshow, S., & Sturdivant, R. X. (2013). Applied logistic regression (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

[10]. Mood, C. (2010). Logistic regression: Why we cannot do what we think we can do, and what we can do about it. European Sociological Review, 26(1), 67–82.

[11]. White, H. (1980). A heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator and a direct test for heteroskedasticity. Econometrica, 48(4), 817–838.

[12]. Blau, F. D., & Kahn, L. M. (2013). Female labor supply: Why is the United States falling behind? American Economic Review, 103(3), 251–256.

[13]. Morrill, M. S., & Pabilonia, S. W. (2020). What explains the gap in labor-force participation between married and unmarried mothers? Labour Economics, 65, 101857.

[14]. Guryan, J., Hurst, E., & Kearney, M. S. (2008). Parental education and parental time with children. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 22(3), 23–46.

Cite this article

Wang,Z. (2025). The Influence of Young Children on Women's Employment Varies in Different Marital Statuses. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences,225,19-23.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICEMGD 2025 Symposium: Resilient Business Strategies in Global Markets

ISBN: 978-1-80590-385-7(Print) / 978-1-80590-386-4(Online)
Editor: Florian Marcel Nuţă Nuţă, Li Chai
Conference website: https://2025.icemgd.org/CAU.html
Conference date: 20 September 2025
Series: Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences
Volume number: Vol.225
ISSN: 2754-1169(Print) / 2754-1177(Online)

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