Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/299901 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16973
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Despite millions of war widows worldwide, little is known about the economic consequences of being widowed by war. We use life history data from West Germany to show that war widowhood increased women's employment immediately after World War II but led to lower employment rates later in life. War widows, therefore, carried a double burden of employment and childcare while their children were young but left the workforce when their children reached adulthood. We discuss the mechanisms contributing to this counterintuitive life-cycle pattern and examine potential spillovers to the next generation.
Subjects: 
war widows
labor market careers
female labor force participation
World War II
JEL: 
J16
J20
N34
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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