托育服务对女性就业的影响分析

Analysis of the impact of childcare services on women's employment

托育服务对女性就业的影响相对复杂,其在缓解女性就业和育儿时间分配压力的同时,也提高了儿童养育的经济成本。而女性的实际工资收入不足以负担此经济成本时,这是否成为女性退出劳动力市场的一个影响因素呢?本文基于第一手的问卷调查数据,从劳动参与和劳动收入两方面,实证测度了0-3岁儿童托育服务对女性就业的促进效应。研究发现,子女参与0-3岁托育服务对女性劳动参与和就业收入均具有显著的正向影响;随着子女参与0-3岁托育服务,女性在儿童养育上投入的时间成本也相应减少,进而会改善其工作状态;尽管子女参与托育服务会导致直接经济支出增加,但这一支出并未削弱托育服务对女性收入的正面影响,反而帮助女性更好地平衡工作和家庭生活,减少间接机会成本,提高女性的收入。为更好发挥托育公共服务供给在促进女性高质量就业中的作用,应优化顶层设计和配套措施,加快补齐托育服务短板。

Based on the first-hand questionnaire survey data,this study empirically measures the promoting effect of childcare services for aged'0-3 children on women's employment from the perspectives of labor participation and labor income,further filling the gap in the explanation of the relationship between childcare services and employment of women.It is found that children's participation in 0-3 year old childcare services has a significant positive impact on women's labor participation and employment income.As children participate in childcare services,the time cost invested by women in child rearing also decreases accordingly,which will improve their work status.Although children's participation in childcare services can lead to an increase in direct economic expenditure,this expenditure does not weaken the positive impact of childcare services on women's income.Instead,it helps women better balance work and family life,reduce indirect opportunity costs,and increase women's income.To better leverage the role of public childcare services in promoting high-quality employment for women,top-level design and supporting measures should be optimized to accelerate the filling of gaps in childcare services.