Determinants of Parental Leave Uptake among Fathers: A Comparative Study of Four Nordic Countries

Fathers in the Nordic countries were among the first in the world to gain the right to paid parental leave. The overall uptake has however been low, despite various attempts to increase it. This paper compares characteristics of fathers in four Nordic countries, to identify important determinants of parental leave uptake. The relationships were tested using logistic regression models. Support for theories regarding household division of labor and household bargaining was found: the socioeconomic position of the father, but also the spouse was positively correlated with the probability of parental leave uptake of the father.