Causal Effects of Retirement on the Housework Division in the Italian Couples

The estimation of the effect of retirement of one (among) of the partners on couple’s labour division is often affected by the misspecification of the bargaining process between partners. In this study, using Italian Time Use data, we perform a matching estimator to compare working activity of women who experienced the retirement of the partner and of women who have not experienced it by adopting a correction for the misspecification of bargaining effect. Namely, as a comparison criterion for matching we use the estimated propensity to retire of man conditional to the woman’s perception of equity in labour division, here assumed as a relevant factor of bargaining.