The Effect of Childcare Access on Women’s Careers and Firm Performance”

The study explores the impact of Quebec’s 1997 universal childcare reform on women’s career trajectories and firm outcomes, using tax data and considering the reform’s timing relative to childbirth. Findings indicate that early childcare access boosts employment among new mothers, especially those previously unemployed, and facilitates their transition into more demanding roles within male-dominated firms, leading to increased earnings and productivity. This shift not only benefits the women but also the firms, which typically see lower interest from women with children, as they experience enhanced growth and
performance. The study highlights how childcare barriers restrict women’s career advancement and optimal human capital distribution in the labour market.

Simintzi, Elena, Sheng-Jun Xu, T. Xu (2022). “The Effect of Childcare Access on Women’s Careers and Firm Performance.” SSRN Electronic Journal.