The Effects of Maternal Employment on Adolescent Behavior and Social Outcomes

Abstract

This paper looks into potential effects varying levels of maternal employment may have on adolescent outcomes. In particular, I examine the adolescent’s behavioral problems and social adaptability, measured by the CBCL scale and the ASBI scale respectively. Beyond these behavioral and social outcomes, I also look into the potential tradeoffs between material hardship and time spent with child that higher levels of maternal employment may bring about. In conducting this analysis, I use the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, which follows 4,898 families and children across multiple waves. The results show that initially, full-time employment has significant, positive impacts on the adolescent’s behavior—the CBCL scores are generally lower and the ASBI scores generally higher. However, after controlling for time-invariant heterogeneities, the effects on social adaptability (the ASBI score) dissipate and the results on the CBCL subscales, such as internalizing and externalizing behavior reverse. Finally, there does not seem to be a tradeoff between material hardship and time spent with the child, though the mother-child closeness is affected.