Determinants of Employment: Impact of Medicaid and CHIP among Unmarried Female Heads of Household with Young Children

Abstract

This research explores whether participation in Medicaid is a determinant of hours of employment among unmarried parenting female heads of households with at least one child younger than age 6. The measures include Medicaid participation, Children's Health Insurance Program participation, health status, and Medicaid generosity. A multilevel regression was conducted using data from the Current Population Survey 2011 Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement. The findings indicate that Medicaid participation, health status, and Medicaid generosity all have a significant negative effect on labor force participation when measured by hours of employment per week.

Keywords::

• Medicaid
• labor supply
• labor force participation
• health insurance
• CHIP
• determinant of employment
• hours of employment