Research

Three areas of research

The work carried out in the Economic Demography unit aims to study socio-economic inequalities through the analysis of professional and family dynamics and the effects of public policies (social, family, tax, education, employment ) or business. The work generally focuses on the connection between economic and demographic behavior and policies. The objective is to study the economic and social determinants of demographic behavior, their economic consequences, as well as the way in which public policies intervene. A transversal concern of this work is to examine the causes and consequences of inequalities, whether socio-economic, gender or even linked to migratory origin or family history.

Three areas of research structure this scientific project. In addition to their interest in issues directly related to public policies, all three are part of a common theoretical and methodological approach based on both a longitudinal life cycle approach and quantitative analysis methods. The objective is thus to study the interactions between life events, family and professional environment and socio-economic context at different ages of life and the way in which these interactions at a given moment influence the rest of the journey. These life cycle approaches are fully in line with the unit’s strategic orientations. The analyzes will be carried out using data sources of different nature, administrative, business and survey. Finally, these three axes are based on major structuring research projects financed respectively by the ANR (LifeObs, the French Observatory of Life Courses, Kappa within the framework of the Priority Research Autonomy Program) or at the European level ( LINEup).

Changes in the balance of private and professional life throughout working life

The first line of research mainly deals with the interactions between professional careers and demographic events; and the resulting gender inequalities. This theme has shaped the work of the Economic Demography unit since its inception. This axis proposes to renew the research questions, by studying the effect of profound transformations of the labor market (for example the development of teleworking), of the family (union breakdowns and family reconstitutions) and of family policies or employment, as well as business policies, another major player in these issues. The carrying out of a new survey, FamEmp (longitudinal survey of Families and Employers), of large scale, both in terms of the size of the sample and its longitudinal ambition, will lead to the production of the data essential to answer these new questions of research. Particular interest is given in this line of research to the connection between family life and professional life throughout the life cycle.

Private transfers, public transfers and inequalities

The second line of research focuses on the interactions between public transfers, in monetary form or in kind, and private transfers. The degree of complementarity or substitutability between these two types of transfers is an old economic question. This involves studying more particularly the relationship between public transfers and private transfers and its consequences in terms of inequalities. This questioning will be asked in the field of early childhood, education, but also retirement policies and the socio-fiscal system, adopting a life cycle perspective. Finally, work on the evolution of heritage over the ages, in particular under the effect of family events and transmission behaviors, will make it possible to better understand the formation of inequalities in this area.

Disability: Life trajectories, family relationships and social policies

Finally, the third axis of research aims to develop a recent theme in the unit and to make it a structuring axis of future research. Until very recently, economists were relatively little interested in the area of disability or loss of autonomy. However, it is crucial to study and understand how disability affects people’s living conditions and trajectories, whether marital, family, employment, retirement or residential. It is also important to understand the way in which public policies intervene to meet the needs of people with disabilities (or their loved ones) in these different dimensions. This project is part of the recent creation of the fifth branch of social security dedicated to “autonomy”. This line of research should therefore strongly contribute to the ongoing reflection on the responses that public authorities can provide to the numerous challenges posed by supporting people with disabilities, at different ages of life.