Does the provision of childcare reduce motherhood penalties in job-related training participation? Longitudinal evidence from Germany

Previous studies highlight gender differences in job-related training participation, particularly in countries with few family policies supporting maternal employment. This study examines whether higher levels of state-subsidized childcare provision are positively linked to mothers' participation in job-related training. It combines individual-level data from the National Educational Panel Study for Germany (NEPS-SC6 adult cohort, N = 5504, 2008-20) with annual administrative records on county-level childcare coverage. Results from fixed effects models provide evidence that higher childcare levels reduce the negative impact of childbirth on mothers' job-related training participation. Nevertheless, motherhood training penalties exist even in contexts with higher childcare coverage levels, especially in West Germany. The findings highlight the importance of supporting family policies to reduce motherhood training penalties and associated gender inequalities in the labour market.

Automated summary

This study examines the relationship between state-subsidized childcare provision and mothers' participation in job-related training. The results show that higher levels of childcare coverage can mitigate the negative impact of childbirth on mothers' training participation. However, even in areas with good childcare services, especially in West Germany, mothers still face training penalties.