The Role of Partners’ Support for Women’s Reentry Into Employment After a Child-Related Career Break in Germany

Abstract

In the present study, the effect of partners’ social support on women’s reentry into the labor market is examined by means of discrete-time event history analysis using the German Socio-Economic Panel (1984-2013). In doing so, we take into account partners’ instrumental and emotional support. A special focus is placed on the moderating effect of partners’ relative resources on partners’ support. Results reveal that both partners’ instrumental and partners’ emotional support play a major role in women’s return to employment. Particularly with a more egalitarian division of domestic labor and child care, women have a higher likelihood of returning to the labor market. However, a partner’s reduction of working hours can also accelerate women’s reemployment. In addition, we find moderating effects of partners’ resource constellations on partners’ support: with a partner’s increasing comparative advantage, help with housework facilitates labor market reentry, while educational homogamy moderates the effect of a partner’s emotional support.

Balancing academia and family life

“…With familial support widely available and some degree of informal organisational assistance, Chinese female academics had greater capabilities to maintain a balanced life than their British counterparts. Partner support was also seen to improve WLB experiences by both British and Chinese academics, which is congruent with previous studies (Aryee et al, 1999;Aycan & Eskin, 2005;Beutell & Greenhaus, 1983;Bröckel, 2018;Hennekam et al, 2019;Lo et al, 2003;Ren & Foster, 2011). At this level, another influential factor is that of personal career aspirations.…”

“…These include gender, age, income and partner's resources. In particular, partner support, either instrumentally or emotionally, or both, has been found to influence their partner's experience of juggling family and job responsibilities considerably (Bröckel, 2018). Women usually feel lonely or stressed when such support is not available (Hennekam et al, 2019).…”

Dismantling Restrictive Gender Norms: Can Better Designed Paternal Leave Policies Help?

“…As more men stay at home providing care, more women return to work and resume the role of breadwinner, countering traditional gendered expectations and thereby contributing to a shift away from restrictive norms that encourage discriminatory practices toward working mothers. Equally, in countries where men take up a higher proportion of parental leave entitlements or have greater involvement in child‐rearing, we also find increased re‐entry rates for women to their former jobs (Bröckel, 2016; Bruning & Plantenga, 1999). Finally, improved parental leave policies may be one component of a large group of egalitarian legislative changes that aim to increase gender equality by reducing the employment barriers and discrimination that women often face in the workplace (Sullivan, Coltrane, McAnnally, & Altintas, 2009).…”

A multilevel perspective of the identity transition to motherhood

“…On the micro‐level, the support of one's partner as well as one's career aspirations emerged. The extent to which one's partner is involved in paid employment, childcare and household duties influences not only the employment decision after birth but also the different selves a working woman can consider (Bröckel, ; Wang & Bianchi, ). Related to the support of one's partner, a woman's career aspirations also influence how she sees herself.…”

“…Over the past decades, fathers have become more involved in childcare when mothers are employed (Wang & Bianchi, ). According to Bröckel's () study of partners’ social support and women's re‐entry into the labour market in Germany, both instrumental and emotional support by the partner play a role in women's return to employment.…”