Consequences of Fathers Parental Leave Use: Evidence from Sweden

Ann-Zofie Duvander,Ann-Christin Jans

doi:10.23979/fypr.45044

Abstract

Fathers parental leave use is often assumed to affect gender equality both at home and in the labour market. In the home, fathers parental leave is expected to improve father-child contact later on in the childs life. In this study the associations between fathers parental leave use and further adaption to family life and contact with children are investigated. The first research question is whether fathers who have used parental leave are more likely to have shorter working hours during their childrens first years compared to fathers who have not used the leave. The second question is whether the contact between separated fathers and their children is associated with the fathers previous parental leave use. We use a survey carried out in 2003 with a sample of approximately 4000 parents of children born in 1993 and 1999. The findings indicate that fathers parental leave is associated with both shorter working hours later in the childs life and more contact between separated fathers and their children.

Highlights

In Swedish politics there is a strong and rarely questioned goal that fathers’ use of parental leave should increase
There is a large difference in parental leave use between fathers that are still co-residing with the child and the child’s mother, and fathers that have separated
Children with older mothers seem to meet their fathers more often than children with younger mothers, and children of mothers who have met a new partner seem to meet their fathers less often. These results indicate a positive association between fathers’ parental leave use and continued father-child contact

Summary

Introduction

In Swedish politics there is a strong and rarely questioned goal that fathers’ use of parental leave should increase. In most research fathers’ parental leave use is seen as a positive outcome. The reasons for the positive view of father’s parental leave are often connected to gender equality (Joshi 1998). One may argue that the most important reason for fathers’ leave is children’s right to time with both parents (Sundström and Duvander 2002). At least in Sweden, this aspect is increasingly in focus. It is seen as positive for the father to get the opportunity to spend time with his child, but it is seen as a value for the child to get access to both parents. Very little knowledge exists on whether the father’s parental leave leads to more contact with his child later in the

50 Consequences of Fathers’ Parental Leave Use

Findings

Conclusion