Fathers on leave : Association between fathers’ use of the parental leave and their relative resources in Sweden

Sammanfattning: Parents’ financial and human capital resources, especially, that of the mother have been shown to be an important component contributing to parents’ division of the parental leave. In this study the effect of relative resources on fathers’ use of the parental leave are considered. In this paper, multinomial logistic regression is applied in a nationally representative sample survey that was conducted by the National Social insurance Agency. Results indicate some association between fathers’ share of the parental leave and relative financial and human capital resources. Among fathers higher relative income was partially associated with decreased share of the leave, while for relative level of education it is the mothers’ level of education that affects fathers to use higher share of the parental leave. In addition, among fathers having a job in the private sector especially if the mother is in the public sector reduced fathers’ sharing of the parental leave. Oppositely if the father is in the public sector, while the mother works in private sector further fathers’ share of the parental leave.