Living close to mothers or mothers-in-law gives married women with young children greater freedom to work

In an increasingly mobile society, there may still be incentives for remaining close to family members, especially for those with young children. Janice Compton and Robert A. Pollak take a close look at the effects on the labor supply – how many hours they are willing to work – of young mothers of living close to their mothers or mothers-in-law. They find that married women who live closer to their children’s grandmothers are more likely to be willing and able to work, and work longer hours. They argue that this effect is directly related to the greater availability of childcare that grandparents provide for married mothers with young children.