Three Essays on Labor Economics

Abstract

Chapter 1 investigates the labor market implications of single fatherhood. Samples from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics reveal that men experiencing single fatherhood after marital separation experience dramatic decreases in both labor hours and income. I identify the effects of marital separation for men with and without children and show that the decrease in income and hours for single fathers goes beyond those experienced by other separated men, likely due to the additional constraints on time and scheduling faced by single fathers.

Chapter 2 estimates the effects of recent half day state Pre-Kindergarten programs on school attendance and mothers' labor supply. I show that state Pre-K programs have succeeded in increasing school attendance for some 4-5 year olds, and in this way have succeeded in their stated goal. However, I show that the introduction of these programs is also associated with decreased labor hours for mothers of eligible children.I show that the decrease in labor hours can be explained by the fixed costs of childcare which cause may cause some mothers to decrease work from full-time hours to avoid having to pay for and arrange supplementary childcare after Pre-K has ended.

Chapter 3 analyses the effectiveness of the National Science \& Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART) in its goal of increasing the science and math preparation of college graduates. Although estimates are limited by a small sample size and imperfect observations of SMART eligibility, I do not find evidence that program eligibility increases the number of declared science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors.