When Care Responsibilities Collide with Work: The Gendered Labour Market Effects of Raising a Disabled Child

Laurie Rachet-Jacquet , INED - National Institute for Demographic Studies
Roméo Fontaine, INED - National Institute for Demographic Studies
Ariane Pailhé, INED - National Institute for Demographic Studies
Delphine Remillon, INED - National Institute for Demographic Studies

Around 4% of children in Europe experience functional limitations, posing substantial challenges for families balancing care and employment. While the gendered “child penalty” in labour markets is well-documented—showing persistent negative effects on mothers’ employment and earnings—little is known about how this penalty evolves when a child has a disability. This paper investigates the gendered labour market effects of raising a disabled child in France and explores the mechanisms underpinning these disparities. Using the 2024 Families and Employers Survey (FamEmp), a nationally representative longitudinal employee–employer dataset of over 41,000 individuals and 9,000 firms, we combine detailed information on individuals' employment histories, caregiving patterns, and gender norms with linked administrative records. Children’s disabilities are identified using the Global Activity Limitation Indicator (GALI) and validated through multiple measures, including disability allowance data. We estimate the causal effect of a child’s disability on parental labour market outcomes using an event-study design and examine mechanisms related to gender norms, income specialization, and access to institutional care. Preliminary findings indicate that the negative labour market effects of motherhood are significantly amplified for mothers of disabled children, affecting both employment continuity and job quality, with fathers’ trajectories remain largely unaffected. Next, we will explore whether firm-level policies promoting flexibility and care support could mitigate these effects. This study contributes new evidence on the intersection of gender, disability, and work, potentially highlighting the role of workplace practices and policy design in reducing inequalities faced by families of disabled children.

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 Presented in Session P2. Families, Fertility, and the Life Course 2