Effects of Husband's Education and Family Structure on Labor Force Participation and Married Japanese Women's Earnings

This article investigates the relationships of a husband's education, family structure, co-residence with parents or in-laws, and child care, to labor supply and earnings among married Japanese women between 2000 and 2002. Whereas educated husbands reduce the labor supply of wives, their human capital is positively associated with productivity and earnings of the wives once they participate in the labor market. Moreover, our analysis suggests a specific division of labor within a household through which a wife's mother or mother-in-law helps her participate in the labor market, while her father or father-in-law does not affect her labor participation.