Gender gap in reported childcare preferences among parents

Abstract The child penalty explains the majority of gender employment and wage gaps. However, less is known about the factors driving the child penalty itself. In this paper, we explore the gender gap in childcare preferences, a potential contributor to the child penalty. We surveyed parents of young children and elicited the minimal compensation they would require to stay home to care for a child. Mothers require less compensation for childcare than fathers; the estimated gender gap in childcare preferences is CZK 2500 monthly (EUR 100), 7.6% of the median female wage, and cannot be explained by gender differences in labor market opportunities or prosocial motives to care for a family member. We further document a widespread misperception of fathers’ preferences, as respondents incorrectly expect fathers to require less compensation to care for a child than to care for an elderly parent.