Research and publications
Here you can find my latest publications and current research.
Peer-reviewed publications.
Hennecke, J. , and A. Pape (2022): Suddenly a Stay-At-Home-Dad? The effect of job loss on fathers’ time investment in the household. Review of Economics of the Household, 20, 579–607. Available as IZA DP, 13866. Link
Abstract: Commonly described as the "gender care gap", there is a persistent gender difference in the division of domestic responsibilities in most developed countries. We provide novel evidence on the short- and long-run effects of an exogenous shock on paternal availability, through a job loss, on the allocation of domestic work within couples. We find that paternal child care and housework significantly increase in the short run on weekdays, while we do not see any similar shifts on weekends. Effects are positive and persistent for fathers who remain unemployed or have a working partner, but reverse after re-employment. We also find significant changes for female partners as well as in the cumulative household time investments and the outsourcing of tasks, depending on the labor force statuses of both partners. We theoretically discuss time availability and financial constraints, relative bargaining powers, gender role attitudes, and emotional bonds as potential explanations for the effects.
Huebener, M., Pape, A., and C.K. Spiess (2020): Parental Labour Supply Responses to the Abolition of Day Care Fees. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 180, 510-543. Available as IZA DP, 12780. Link
Abstract: This paper provides evidence that low private contributions to highly subsidised day care constrain mothers from working longer hours. We study the effects of reforms that abolished day care fees in Germany on parental labour supply. The reforms removed private contributions to highly subsidised day care in the year before children enter primary school. We exploit the staggered reform across states with a difference-in-differences approach and event studies. Although participation in day care is almost universal for preschoolers, we provide evidence that the reforms increase the intensity of day care use and the working time of mothers by about 7.1 percent. Single mothers, mothers with no younger children, mothers in denser local labour markets, and highly educated mothers react most strongly. We find no evidence for labour supply responses at the extensive margin and no evidence of responses in paternal labour supply. The effects on maternal labour supply fade away by the end of primary school as mothers in the control group also gradually increase their labour supply as their children grow older.
Working papers.
Cracking under Pressure? Gender Role Attitudes in Times of a Pandemic (with Natalia Danzer, Mathias Huebener, C. Katharina Spiess, Nico A. Siegel, and Gert G. Wagner). Revise & Resubmit Feminist Economics. Available as IZA DP, 14471. Link
Abstract: This paper studies the effects of Covid-19 related daycare and school closures on gender role attitudes toward maternal employment in Germany. We compare women and men with dependent children to those without children one year after the outbreak of the pandemic. Using data on gender role attitudes from 2008 through 2021, we find that fathers’ egalitarian attitudes toward maternal employment dropped substantially in 2021. This drop is observed for men in West Germany, who showed a steady progression toward more egalitarian attitudes in the pre-pandemic period. Attitudes by women are not affected. These findings suggest that the pandemic not only affected the short-term allocation of housework and childcare, but also reversed recent trends toward more egalitarian gender roles.
Current research projects.
Parental Leave, Mothers' Careers and Divorce (single authored, Revise & Resubmit Journal of Demographic Economics, draft available upon request)
Policy.
Huebener, M., Pape, A., Spiess, C.K., and G.G. Wagner (2021): Zu Beginn von vierter Corona-Welle: Eltern bei geöffneten Kitas und Schulen zufriedener und mit weniger Sorgen. DIW aktuell 76. Link
Danzer, N., Huebener, M., Pape, A., Spiess, C.K., and G.G. Wagner (2021): Kita- und Schulschließungen haben bei westdeutschen Vätern Einstellung zur Erwerbstätigkeit von Müttern verändert. DIW Wochenbericht 34-2021. Link
Danzer, N., Huebener, M., Pape, A., Siegel, N. A., Spieß, C. K., and G.G. Wagner (2021): Kita- und Schulschließungen gefährden egalitäre Einstellungen zur Erwerbstätigkeit von Müttern. Ökonomenstimme, 9 August 2021. Link
Huebener, M., Pape, A. and C.K. Spiess (2021): Eltern sorgen sich zunehmend um die Bildung und die wirtschaftliche Zukunft ihrer Kinder. FamilienMonitor Corona 08. Link
Bönke, T., Pape, A., Penz, H., Priem, M., and S. Voss (2020): Aufstieg durch Einstieg in den Arbeitsmarkt. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Link
Media coverage (selected): FAZ
Bönke, T., Glaubitz, R., Göbler, K., Harnack, A., Pape, A., and Wetter, M. (2020): Wer gewinnt? Wer verliert? Die Entwicklung und Prognose von Lebenserwerbseinkommen in Deutschland. Bertelsmann Stiftung. Link
Media coverage (selected): Handelsblatt, Die Zeit, Makronom
Huebener, M., Pape, A. and C.K. Spiess (2019): Gebührenbefreiung des letzten Kita‑Jahres: Mütter weiten ihre Arbeitszeit nur kurzfristig aus. DIW Wochenbericht 48-2019. Link
Media coverage (selected): Welt
Pape, A. and T. Köster (2018): Mittelschichtsbericht: Wie steht es um das Einkommen und das Vermögen der Mittelschicht? Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
Schäfer, M. and A. Pape (2018): Globale Ungleichheit - auf dem Vormarsch. kurzum, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
Pape, A. (2017): Wohneigentum - Perspektive für die Vermögensbildung. , Analysen & Argumente, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
Schäfer, M. and A. Pape (2017): Der Einfluss verschiedener Wirtschaftsmodelle auf die Europäisierung der Stabilitätspolitik. Analysen & Argumente, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.