TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Bhalotra, Sonia R.
AU  - Daysal, N. Meltem
AU  - Freget, Louis
AU  - Hirani, Jonas Cuzulan
AU  - Majumdar, Priyama
AU  - Trandafir, Mircea
AU  - Wüst, Miriam
AU  - Zohar, Tom
        TI  - Postpartum Depression and the Motherhood Penalty
        PY  - 2026/Feb/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 18366
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp18366
        AB  - Using Danish administrative data linked to two independent, validated postpartum depression screenings, we study how postpartum mental health shocks shape women’s labor market trajectories. Event-study estimates show no pre-birth differences in trends between depressed and non-depressed mothers, but persistent employment gaps that widen immediately after birth. Health-care utilization patterns indicate that these differences reflect acute mental health shocks rather than pre-existing trends. The penalties are concentrated among less educated mothers and those in less family-friendly jobs. Our results highlight postpartum depression as a meaningful and unequal contributor to the motherhood penalty.
        KW  - postpartum depression
KW  - motherhood penalty
KW  - labor market inequality
        ER  -