Work disability after motherhood: How paternity leave can help

We examine how the provision of paternity leave can reduce the time mothers spend on disability insurance after childbirth. Using Belgian administrative data and a Regression Discontinuity Design around a July 2002 reform, we estimate that mothers whose partners became eligible for a statutory paternity leave spent, on average, 13% fewer days on disability over the following twelve years. We provide suggestive evidence that paternity leave affects maternal long-run disability through (1) increased fathers’ involvement in child care, resulting in more child-free time for mothers; and (2) longer waiting time before having a second child.