Essays in applied microeconomics

This dissertation is composed of two parts. In the first, I study a recent extension of the maternity leave mandate for public sector employees. In the second, I focus on the gender differential in housework hours and its evolution in the 2001-2009 period. For the maternity leave part, identification relies on geographical and temporal variation of the extensions. Data are drawn from the Annual Report on Social Information (RAIS) and from the National Household Sample and from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD). There is some evidence of a modest, though statistically insignificant effect on wages. This evidence is in tune with the international literature and lies within reasonable bounds given by the expected increase in the employees' costs. For fertility, the results are also similar to the literature, suggesting an increase. Nonetheless, those estimates are not statistically significant. There is also some evidence of an increase in the attraction of the public sector. In summary, results suggest that the extension did not have significant effects on important labor market outcomes, such as wages. This might be indicative that the distortions generated by the extension were not relevant. The focus of the second part is on the gender differential in housework hours in Brazil and its evolution. Data from 2001 and 2009 are drawn from the National Household Sample Survey, which is representative of the Brazilian households. Results highlight that women decreased their amount of housework in that period. Cohabiting or married men increased slightly their amount of housework, whereas single men decreased their amount of housework. According to the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, the observable characteristics explain very little of the gap in each year. Nonetheless, a substantial part of the change in the gap can be attributed to changes in observable characteristics, mainly changes in the levels of economic power, cohort and cohort-education interaction.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Economics

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Pereira Goncalves de Mello, Euler

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lubotsky, Darren H.
• Arends-Kuenning, Mary P.
• Baer, Werner W.
• Powers, Elizabeth T.

• Policy evaluation
• Decomposition
• Brazil
• Maternity leave
• Housework

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2012 Euler Pereira Goncalves de Mello

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/42332

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/42332