Javier Moral Wins Emilio Albi Ibáñez Award for Master’s Thesis in Public Economics

Javier Moral, alumnus of the 2024 Master in Economics at UB School of Economics, has been awarded the prestigious Emilio Albi Ibáñez Prize for Master’s Theses in Public Economics, granted by the Instituto de Estudios Fiscales (IEF). He is currently pursuing a PhD in Economics at HEC Lausanne.

His thesis, titled “When are we having the second? Effects of paternity leave extensions on the decision to have a second child”, advised by Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela, analyzes whether paternity leave reforms in Spain influenced the timing of couples’ decisions to have a second child.

The paper exploits three consecutive paternity leave extensions implemented in Spain between 2017 and 2019, using rich administrative birth statistics from the Spanish National Statistical Institute and a regression discontinuity difference-in-differences approach. His findings suggest that, while the reforms did not trigger a generalized response in birth spacing, they may signal a new phase in which family policies that challenge traditional gender norms do not negatively affect fertility. The analysis of heterogeneous effects also provides valuable insights into the mechanisms through which family policies can shape fertility decisions.

The full thesis is available at the UB Digital Repository.

Learn more about the Master in Economics at the UB School of Economics, ranked 78th globally — placing it among the top 10% of economics departments worldwide. More information here.

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