The Effect of the Number of Children on Mother’s Labour Income in South Africa

Abstract

The study examines the effect of the number of children on mothers' labour income in South Africa. This study uses panel data from the South African National Income Dynamic Survey (NIDS) from 2008 to 2017 and correct for sample selection bias caused by endogenous labour market participation using the Heckman two-stage model and quantile regression. The results show that the cumulative number of children and the presence of preschool-aged children have a significant negative relationship with mothers' labour income.  The main results indicate that the number of children has a heterogeneous effect on the mother’s labour income. Mothers with more children are likely to be hurt the most, especially those who are low-income earners at the bottom of the income distribution. Also, mothers with preschool-age children who are middle-income earners pay more penalty in their labour income. This shows that the responsibility of women as primary caregivers in a household is not without consequences or trade-offs between childcare and earnings. As a result, the study suggests continuous awareness of family planning, contraceptives, and child spacing. Also, we suggest work-family policies that could positively affect a mother's income from her employment and reduce household income inequality.