Current Research

Working Papers

• (Not) Thinking about the Future: Inattention and Maternal Labor Supply
  with Ana Costa-Ramon, Ursina Schaede, and Michaela Slotwinski
  Show Abstract
  The "child penalty'' significantly reduces women’s lifetime earnings and pension savings, but it remains unclear whether these gaps are the deliberate result of forward-looking decisions. This paper provides novel evidence on the role of cognitive constraints in mothers’ labor supply decisions. In a large-scale field experiment that combines rich survey and administrative data, we provide mothers with objective, individualized information about the long-run costs of reduced labor supply. The treatment increases demand for financial information and future labor supply plans, in particular among women who underestimated the long-term costs. Leveraging linked employer administrative data one year post-intervention, we observe that these mothers increase their actual labor supply by 6 percent over the mean.
• Gender Identity and Economic Decision Making
  with Zeynep Eyibak, Eva Ranehill, Lea Heursen, and Roberto Weber
  Show Abstract
  Economic research on gender gaps has focused on variation based on the binary classification of "men" and "women". We explore whether a self-reported continuous measure of gender identity (CGI) explains variation in economic decisions and outcomes beyond the relationship with binary gender. We analyze data from four diverse populations (N=8,018), including measures of economic preferences and educational and labor market outcomes. We find that CGI is significantly associated with economic outcomes, with stronger relationships for men than women. Our results indicate that incorporating measures of self-reported gender identity could enhance our understanding of gender gaps in economic behavior and outcomes.
• Causal Effects of Breastfeeding Promotion on Child Health: Understanding the Role of Nutrition
  with Jenna Stearns and Richard Martin
  Show Abstract
  Using data from the only large-scale randomized controlled trial promoting prolonged exclusive breastfeeding, we show that the intervention significantly and persistently increased weight-for-age. To explain this result, we provide novel evidence of changes in infant feeding patterns. The estimated increase in calories that treated infants consumed explains a major share of the weight gain in early infancy. Our results suggest that understanding the common alternatives to breast milk is key for designing optimal infant feeding policies.

Work in Progress

• Math skills, perceptions of fit, and occupational choice
  (Data collection completed. Analysis ongoing. AEA RCT Registry 0010215)
  with Melanie Wasserman
  Show Abstract
  We study how beliefs about math skills and fit affect occupational choice among Swiss students who are about to apply to apprenticeships. Although there is no gender difference in math skills, we document a substantial gender gap in preferences and search for math-intensive apprenticeships. We conduct a field experiment that randomizes the provision of gender-specific information on math ability and fit in gender-incongruent occupations. The intervention increases both boys' and girls' perceptions of fit in gender-incongruent occupations by 0.09-0.16 standard deviations. Furthermore, it increases boys' (girls') probability of searching for information about any gender-incongruent occupation over the following two weeks by 44 (27) percent and leads to an increase in their plans to apply for trial apprenticeships and/or apprenticeships in these occupations. The effects on plans to apply for gender-incongruent occupations are driven by boys with low-math skills and girls with high-math skills. Later this year, we will link our survey data to administrative data from the largest apprenticeship application website to evaluate whether the intervention has effects on occupational choice.
• How Do Firms Respond to Parental Leave Absences?
  (Write up)
  with Ursa Krenk, Andreas Steinhauer, and Josef Zweimüller
  Show Abstract
  How do firms adjust their labor demand when a female employee takes parental leave following childbirth? Do these adjustments depend on the leave duration? To address these questions, we compare "treated" firms—where an employee gives birth—with comparable "control" firms without a birth. Using Austrian social security data and leveraging parental leave policy changes that significantly changed leave durations, we document three main findings. First, firms experience systematic changes in hiring, employment, and total wage bills both before and during parental leave, but these effects vanish over time. Second, parental leave affects firms' demand for female and male labor differently, reflecting strong gender segregation within firms. Third, while extended government-mandated parental leave increases actual leave durations, it does not significantly influence other firm-level outcomes. These results indicate that Austrian firms effectively manage temporary leave absences following childbirth, even within the context of generous parental leave policies.
• Parents' perceptions of occupational fit
  (First experiment: baseline and follow-up completed; AEA RCT Registry 0012937. Second experiment: ongoing; AEA RCT Registry 0014813)
  with Daphne Rutnam
• Encouraging hands-on job experimentation among teenagers
  (Intervention ongoing. AEA RCT Registry 0011973 and 0012454)
  with Alexia Delfino, Claudio Schilter, and Stefan Wolter
• Backlash from Gender Equality
  (Intervention ongoing. AEA RCT Registry 0012382)
  with Michela Carlana, Stefan Wolter, and Thea Zöllner
• Father involvement and family well-being
  (Intervention ongoing. AEA RCT Registry 0014240)
  with Victoria Baranov, Pietro Biroli, and Xiaoyue Shan
• Son preference worldwide
  (Analysis ongoing)
  with Melanie Wasserman