Application Barriers and the Socioeconomic Gap in Child Care Enrollment
Henning Hermes, Philipp Lergetporer, Frauke Peter, Simon Wiederhold
Journal of the European Economic Association,
im Erscheinen
Abstract
Why are children with lower socioeconomic status (SES) substantially less likely to be enrolled in child care? We study whether barriers in the application process work against lower-SES children — the group known to benefit strongest from child care enrollment. In an RCT in Germany with highly subsidized child care (N = 607), we offer treated families information and personal assistance for applications. We find substantial, equity-enhancing effects of the treatment, closing half of the large SES gap in child care enrollment. Increased enrollment for lower-SES families is likely driven by altered application knowledge and behavior. We discuss scalability of our intervention and derive policy implications for the design of universal child care programs.
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Social Connections and Information Leakage: Evidence from Target Stock Price Run-up in Takeovers
Iftekhar Hasan, Lin Tong, An Yan
Journal of Financial Research,
im Erscheinen
Abstract
Does information leakage in a target's social networks increase its stock price prior to a merger announcement? Evidence reveals that a target with more social connections indeed experiences a higher pre-announcement price run-up. This effect does not exist during or after the merger announcement, or in windows ending two months before the announcement. It is more pronounced among targets with severe asymmetric information, and weaker when the information about the upcoming merger is publicly available prior to the announcement. It is also weaker in expedited deals such as tender offers.
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Credit Supply Shocks: Financing Real Growth or Takeovers?
Tobias Berg, Daniel Streitz, Michael Wedow
Review of Corporate Finance Studies,
Nr. 2,
2024
Abstract
How do firms invest when financial constraints are relaxed? We document that firms affected by a large positive credit supply shock predominantly increase borrowing for transaction-based purposes. These treated firms have larger asset and employment growth rates; however, growth entirely stems from the increased takeover activity. Announcement returns indicate a low quality of the credit-supply-induced takeover activity. These results offer the possibility that credit-driven growth can simply reflect redistribution, rather than net gains in assets or employment.
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Early Child Care, Maternal Labor Supply, and Gender Equality: A Randomized Controlled Trial?
Henning Hermes, Marina Krauß, Philipp Lergetporer, Frauke Peter, Simon Wiederhold
IWH Discussion Papers,
Nr. 14,
2024
Abstract
We provide experimental evidence that enabling access to universal early child care increases maternal labor supply and promotes gender equality among families with lower socioeconomic status (SES). Our intervention offers information and customized help with child care applications, leading to a boost in child care enrollment among lower-SES families. 18 months after the intervention, we find substantial increases in maternal full-time employment (+160%), maternal earnings (+22%), and household income (+10%). Intriguingly, the positive employment effects are not only driven by extended hours at child care centers, but also by an increase in care hours by fathers. Gender equality also benefits more broadly from better access to child care: The treatment improves a gender equality index that combines information on intra-household division of working hours, care hours, and earnings by 40% of a standard deviation, with significant increases in each dimension. For higher-SES families, we consistently observe negligible, insignificant treatment effects.
Artikel Lesen
Application Barriers and the Socioeconomic Gap in Child Care Enrollment
Henning Hermes, Philipp Lergetporer, Frauke Peter, Simon Wiederhold
Abstract
Why are children with lower socioeconomic status (SES) substantially less likely to be enrolled in child care? We study whether barriers in the application process work against lower-SES children — the group known to benefit strongest from child care enrollment. In an RCT in Germany with highly subsidized child care (N = 607), we offer treated families information and personal assistance for applications. We find substantial, equity-enhancing effects of the treatment, closing half of the large SES gap in child care enrollment. Increased enrollment for lower-SES families is likely driven by altered application knowledge and behavior. We discuss scalability of our intervention and derive policy implications for the design of universal child care programs.
Artikel Lesen
Unions as Insurance: Workplace Unionization and Workers' Outcomes During COVID-19
Nils Braakmann, Boris Hirsch
Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society,
Nr. 2,
2024
Abstract
We investigate to what extent workplace unionization protects workers from external shocks by preventing involuntary job separations. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a plausibly exogenous shock hitting the whole economy, we compare workers who worked in unionized and non-unionized workplaces directly before the pandemic in a difference-in-differences framework. We find that unionized workers were substantially more likely to remain working for their pre-COVID employer and to be in employment. This greater employment stability was not traded off against lower working hours or labor income.
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12.03.2024 • 8/2024
Risiko im Bankensektor: Vier von zehn Top-Aufsehern stammen aus Finanzindustrie
Europas Banken erzielen Überrenditen am Aktienmarkt, wenn ihre Beschäftigten in den Vorstand der Finanzaufsichtsbehörde wechseln. Das kommt häufiger vor als bekannt, zeigt eine Studie des Leibniz-Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle (IWH). Der Befund deutet auf ein Risiko für die Finanzstabilität hin. Die Politik sollte die Aufsicht verbessern.
Michael Koetter
Lesen
Are Rural Firms Left Behind? Firm Location and Perceived Job Attractiveness of High-skilled Workers
Matthias Brachert, Sabrina Jeworrek
Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society,
Nr. 1,
2024
Abstract
We conduct a discrete choice experiment to investigate how the location of a firm in a rural or urban region affects the perceived job attractiveness for university students and graduates and, therewith, contributes to the rural–urban divide. We characterize the attractiveness of a location based on several dimensions (social life, public infrastructure and connectivity) and vary job design and contractual characteristics of the job. We find that job offers from companies in rural areas are generally considered less attractive, regardless of the attractiveness of the region. The negative perception is particularly pronounced among persons of urban origin and singles. In contrast, for individuals with partners and kids this preference is less pronounced. High-skilled individuals who originate from rural areas have no specific regional preference at all.
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Medienecho
Medienecho Februar 2025 IWH: Die deutsche Anämie in: Wirtschaftswoche, 14.02.2025 Oliver Holtemöller: Mitreden vor der Wahl! Was hilft der Wirtschaft aus der Krise? in: NDR,…
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Forschungscluster
Drei Forschungscluster Jede IWH-Forschungsgruppe ist einem themenorientieren Forschungscluster zugeordnet. Die Cluster stellen keine eigenen Organisationseinheiten dar, sondern…
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