Claudia Goldin is an American economic historian and labor economist who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2023. She is known for her research on women's labor market outcomes, the impact of the contraceptive pill, and the history of women's education and career. The Lanham Act was a federal infrastructure bill passed by Congress in 1940 and eventually used to fund programs for the preschool and school-aged children of working women during WWII. It remains, to this day, the only example in US history of an (almost) universal, largely federally supported childcare program. We explore its role in enabling and increasing the labor supply of mothers during WWII using information on the program, war contracts, and employment at the city level. Use of ... Staff support: Contact Emily Dietzel ([email protected]) for questions about the Economic History Workshop (Ec3004), the Economic History Seminar, course office hours appointments, and media matters.
