Paternity leave and fathers’ behavior: evidence from leave timing and a major sports event

Abstract Paternity leave policies are intended to increase fathers’ involvement in childcare and reduce gender inequalities in labor market outcomes. We study the effects of recent paternity leave expansions in Spain using administrative data on earnings and detailed daily records of maternity and paternity leave spells. First, we examine whether the successive extensions of paternity leave implemented between 2017 and 2021 affected gender gaps in labor market outcomes following childbirth. Event-study estimates show no evidence that longer paternity leave reduced the earnings gap between mothers and fathers. To shed light on this result, we analyze how fathers use their leave. Descriptive evidence shows that fathers are more likely than mothers to take leave during summer months, split it into multiple spells, and combine it with part-time work. We then exploit the timing of the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a salient leisure event and document a significant increase in the number of fathers on leave during the tournament (relative to the same dates in surrounding years), with no comparable increase among mothers. These patterns suggest that a nontrivial share of paternity leave may be used for purposes other than childcare, potentially limiting its impact on gender inequalities.