Variations in labour force behaviour, life satisfaction, and perceptions of hardship among immigrant and German mothers

Eileen Trzcinski, Wayne State University
Elke Holst, German Institute for Economic Research

This paper analyzes variations in labor force behavior, subjective well being, and mothers’ perceptions of their financial status in the years immediately before and after the birth of a child for different groups of mothers in Germany. The analyses differentiate between part-time and full-time labor market attachment, first and higher order births, Turkish immigrants and other immigrant women in Germany, and East and West German women. The analyses are based on longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. The research was conducted with GSOEP data for the years 1992-2000. A Cox regression hazard rate model with time-dependent covariates for repeated events was estimated to examine return to employment following birth. Hierarchical linear modeling with fixed effects and multinomial logit estimation were used to analyze differences in life satisfaction and perceptions of financial hardship. The results suggest that major differences exist among the four different groups of mothers in Germany.