The Impact of Continuous School Day on Women’s Participation in the Labour Market: A Quasi-Natural Experiment

Abstract The shift from a split school day (SSD) to a continuous school day (CSD), in which all classes are concentrated in the morning, has accelerated across Spain in recent years and is frequently promoted as a measure to improve work-family balance. Whether this reform advances gender equality in the labour market or instead reinforces traditional gender roles, however, remains an open empirical question. Using a quasi-natural experimental design and panel data for the Valencian Region (Spain) covering the period 2016–2023, this study examines the effects of CSD adoption on female employment and unemployment rates using small-area fixed-effects regression models. The results provide no evidence that CSD affects women’s overall labour market participation after controlling for educational attainment. However, CSD adoption is associated with significantly lower female unemployment rates in areas where it is more widespread, ceteris paribus. This pattern suggests that, rather than fostering gender equality, CSD may facilitate women’s access to part-time jobs compatible with school hours, thereby reinforcing the traditional sexual division of labour. The findings provide new empirical evidence on the relationship between school timetable organisation and women’s labour market outcomes, contributing to current debates on gender equality, work-family balance policies, and the institutional determinants of female employment.