Project duration: 1 June 2025 - 31 May 2027

The BRIDGE research project investigates how commuting behaviour and childcare contribute to the emergence and consolidation of income differences between women and men. A particular focus is laid on the so-called child penalty - i.e. the long-term losses in income and career that women experience after the birth of a child.

One mechanism that has received little attention to date but seems to be essential: commuting distances. After the birth of a child, women often reduce their daily commuting time to work - partly out of necessity, partly due to structural obstacles. However, shorter commuting distances often also go along with limited career opportunities. The project team is analysing the extent to which these spatial restrictions contribute to the gender wage gap and whether better childcare provision can help to reduce these gaps.

We use register data from the Austria Micro Data Center (AMDC), which we link with data from Statistik Austria's Day Care Centre Statistics. The registration data used include the Register-based Census and Labour Market Statistics, the Integrated Wage and Income Tax Statistics, the Vital Statistics including the Statistics on Causes of Death and the Register-based Labour Market Careers. In addition, we use the Day Care Centre Statistics, which provide comprehensive information on childcare at municipal level.