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The impact of peers on fathers’ labour supply

11 July 2024

Gender gaps in the Dutch labour market remain persistent. An important explanation for this observation is the slow-moving changes in gender norms and culture. Gender norms and culture are changing through peoples’ interactions with peers. So far, research on peer effects on work hours or leave taking has almost exclusively focused on mothers. Using micro-econometric techniques and Dutch administrative microdata from Statistics Netherlands and survey microdata from the LISS panel, this project will answer several important research questions: amongst others, how are fathers’ labour supply decisions affected by their male peers upon receiving children?, and to what extent do peer effects on fathers affect the division of tasks within the household? This research will increase our understanding of the role of peer effects in labour market outcomes, which is crucial for increasing the effectiveness of initiatives to raise public policies and/or awareness that aim to close gender gaps.