Does Access to Preschool Increase Women’s Employment?

Female labor force participation (FLFP) in Indonesia lags behind other countries in the region. Building on previous work that shows that unmet childcare needs are associated with low FLFP in Indonesia, here, we look at the impact of childcare availability on FLFP. The findings suggest that an additional public preschool per 1,000 children raises the employment of mothers of age-eligible children by 13 percent.