Factors affecting employment choices of mothers with infants in urban Metro Cebu
Date
1990-03
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Abstract
Although the idea that child care obligations inhibit a mother from participating in the labor force is pervasively accepted, there is merit to be gained from a refinement of the hypothesis. Focusing on mothers with the responsibility of caring for a six-month old baby, this study examines the extent of influence child care has on mother's employment behavior in combination with other personal, household and community factors. Employment behavior is viewed as consisting of three choices: a) to work at home, b) to work away from home, and c) not to work at all. Data from a survey of 2,000 mothers in urban Metro Cebu and a multinomial logit framework of analysis are used in the study.
At six months postpartum, the factors that influence a mother's work choice are: 1) the level of education she has attained, 2) her work experience, 3) her length of residence in Metro Cebu, 4) household income, 5) availability of substitute infant caretakers in the household, 6) community labor market conditions, and 7) the wage level of servants in the locality. These factors have a stronger impact on the decision to work outside the home than to work at home, relative to not working at all.