Promoting parental leaves for foreign-born fathers -

what role does the policy play?

Jussi Tervola, Kela (Social Insurance Institution of Finland)Ann-Zofie Duvander, SUDA (Stockholm University Demography Unit)Eleonora Mussino, SUDA (Stockholm University Demography Unit)

Tackling Inequalitiesin Time of Austerity

2

Nordic countries encourage fathers to participate in childcare through parental benefits Mothers’ employment, gender equality, new

fatherhood

Lower take-up rates are reported for fathers with foreign-born background (Duvander 2010). Why? More insecure attachment to the labour market? Lack of awareness? Coming from culture with more traditional gender

roles?

Background

3

What is the role of policy in immigrant fathers’ take-up?Evidence from cross-country comparison (Fin

and Swe)

Research question

Immigrants are a rapidly increasing group in Nordic countries and elsewhere

The gender gap in employment and earnings is wider among immigrants than natives

Motivation

Nation

als

EU-ci

tizens

-50%-40%-30%-20%-10%

0%

Gender gap in employment

SwedenFinland

Source: Eurostat 2015

5

We compare Finland and Sweden because Both provide family benefits for fathers but with

crucial policy differences Somewhat similar context: immigrant groups

and labor markets Availability of extensive register data

Possibility to distinguish policy effect from other factors, e.g. spouse’s origin, employment, wages, time in country

Specification

6

Micro-level Household economics and rational optimization (classic economic

perspective) Gender perceptions (sociological perspective) Awareness of the parental benefit system

Meso-level Workplace attitudes

Macro-level Cultural gender perceptions Institutional information provision Policies

The determinants of father participation in childcare

7

The parental leave systems 1/2

2016

2014

2012

2010

2008

2006

2004

2002

2000

1998

1996

1994

1992

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16Finnish system

Minimum benefit / home care allowance

Father quota

Shared

Mother quota

Daddy days simult. with mother

Mother quota

Mon

ths f

rom

birt

h

2016

2014

2012

2010

2008

2006

2004

2002

2000

1998

1996

1994

1992

Swedish system

8

Swedish system is more flexible Possibility to extend the benefit period by using it part-time or

postpone until child is 8 yrs (12 yrs since 2014). In Finland, the father has to use the quota directly after mother.

Since 2007 father has possibility to postpone it until child is 1,5yrs. Since 2013 until 2yrs old.

In Finland home care allowance after parental leave is a norm Central reason for fathers to not use parental benefits (Lammi-

Taskula 2009) Sweden has had its own rarely used HCA offered by some

municipalities (abolished in 2016)

Residence-based eligibility in both countries

Parental benefit systems 2/2

9

Finland Pre-90’s, immigration was marginal Since the 90’s, increasing flows from neighboring Russia

and Estonia, and refugees from Somalia, Iraq, Yugoslavia 2009: 6% of men aged 15-44yrs born abroad

Sweden During 70’s labour migrants from Finland, since 80’s labour

migrants from more diverse origins, and lately more from Eastern Europe

Since 80’s refugee migration from Iraq, Iran, Yugoslavia, Somalia, lately from Syria

2009: 17% of men aged 15-44yrs born abroad

Immigration to Fin and Swe

10

Examined ”common groups”Distributions of fathers by migration year

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

0%10%20%30%40%50%

Turkey

SweFin

Former Yugoslavia

Swe

1960196

5197

0197

5198

0198

5199

0199

5200

0200

5201

00%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%Horn of Africa

SweFin

Iraq

SweFin

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Fathers’ take-up (0/1) of 1. The daddy days (while mother is also at home)2. Individual leave (quota or gender-neutral leave)

Father’s first child Children born in Swe/Fin during 1999-2009 Parents cohabit during the birth year and the

next one

Study variable and population

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Data

n of first births distribution, %

Swe Fin Swe FinNatives 354 606 145 533 85.6 95.5Former Yugoslavia 9 076 441 2.2 0.3Horn of Africa 1 789 229 0.4 0.2Iraq 7 256 382 1.8 0.3Turkey 3 279 400 0.8 0.3Western 13 689 1 456 3.3 1.0Other 24 464 3 970 5.9 2.6

Finland: 60 % sample of first births Sweden: Total population

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Take-up rates by child’s birth year% of fathers

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%Daddy days

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

Individual leaveSwe-den / nativesSwe-den / immi-grantsFinland / na-tives

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The models

Model 1 Model 2 Model 3Base Employment Full

Imm status indicator x x xAccurate country of birthImm status of spouse xYears since migration

Birth month x x xBirth year x x x

Father's employment x xMother's employment x xFather's wage level xFather's share of income xFather's age x

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Relative gaps to nativesall immigrants

Base Mod

el

Contro

l for e

mploym

ent

Full m

odel

-80%-40%

0%40%80%

Daddy days Individual leave

FinSwe

16

Relative gap by groupControlled model

Yugo

slavia

Horn of

Africa

Iraq

Turke

y

Western Othe

r-80%

-40%

0%

40%

80%

Daddy days

Western Other

Individual leave

FinSwe

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The immigrant fathers’ take-up seems to follow natives’ take-up with a certain gap Implies the dominant role of policies

For individual leave, the gap is wider in Fin than in Swe The explanation lies likely in the lack of ”true quota” and

flexibility in Finnish system until 2013.

For daddy days, the gap is similar in both countries The policy is also quite similar, some difference in eligibility

criteria

The conclusions

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The role of awareness and information provision? Differences in provision of information by the

institutions? More extensive co-patriate networks in

Sweden?

The comparability of the groups? Socio-economic, cultural

Critical review