Abstract
This paper investigates the determinants of work hours for mothers ofsmall children living in households with one other adult. We hypothesize that the presence and characteristics of the other adult affect a mother's work-related decision-making, and that the nature of the effect varies by the relationship to the otheradult—whether a spouse, an unmarried partner, or a relative. The results indicate that relationship type shapes how mothers' weekly hours of work respond to financial need, childcare pressures, and their own human capital. Married mothers appear to be more able to call on the earnings of their partners to reduce their work hours than mothers in other household situations. There was little evidence that female relatives freed mothers to work.
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Abroms, L.C., Goldscheider, F.K. More Work for Mother: How Spouses, Cohabiting Partners and Relatives Affect the Hours Mothers Work. Journal of Family and Economic Issues 23, 147–166 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015786600645
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015786600645