Papers in Refereed Journals

Brosch, Hanna, Heisig, Katharina, and Larissa Zierow (2023). Der Einfluss der Tagespflege auf die kindliche Entwicklung (The impact of family daycare on child development). Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11618-023-01150-2.

Working Papers

Heisig, Katharina (2023). The Long-Term Impact of Paid Parental Leave on Maternal Health and Subjective Well-Being. CESifo Working Papers No. 20308, 2023.

This paper studies the long-term impact of a paid parental leave reform in former East Germany in 1986 on maternal physical and mental health and subjective well-being. The reform extended paid leave for first-time mothers by six months to a maximum of twelve months. I use representative survey data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and a difference-in-differences design in a quasi-experimental setting.

 

Heisig, Katharina and Larissa Zierow (2019). Parental Leave and Long-Term Life Satisfaction of Children - Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Former East Germany. CESifo Working Papers No. 20308, 2023.

This study investigates the impact of an increase in paid parental leave — twelve instead of five months — on children’s long-term life satisfaction. Our setting, former East Germany, features high labor market participation of mothers and universal supply of standardized childcare. Applying a difference-in-differences design we exploit the specific timing of parental leave reforms in 1976 and 1986.

Heisig, Katharina, Kröper, Marius, and Tim Scheurer (2023). Faktoren von Familiengründung, Kinderlosigkeit und Kinderreichtum in Ostdeutschland. ifo Dresden Studien No. 89, ifo Institut, Dresden, 2023.

This study examines first, which factors influence people to form a family. It also examines which factors favor multiple-child families. Second, we want to answer questions regarding childlessness. In particular, we investigate why adults decide against starting a family, and which factors influence childlessness among adults older than 45 years. The study focuses less on monetary and structural factors, which have already been widely studied, but more on psychosocial factors, which have received less attention so far.

Other Publications

Most of my other publications were published in the Journal of ifo Dresden berichtet (translates to ifo Dresden reports) and are in German language. If you are interested in an English version of a study abstract, do not hesitate to contact me.

2023

Heisig, Katharina and Marius Kröper (2023). Was Ersteltern von Personen ohne Kinder in Ostdeutschland unterscheidet. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2023, 30, Nr. 2, 3-7. ("Differences between first-time parents and people without children in East Germany")

2022

Heisig, Katharina, Kröper, Marius, and Tim Scheurer (2022). Faktoren der Kinderlosigkeit in Ostdeutschland. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2022, 29, Nr. 6, 10-18. ("Factors of childlessness in East Germany")

Heisig, Katharina (2022). Hat die Elternzeitreform 1986 in der DDR die Gesundheit der Mütter langfristig verbessert? ifo Dresden berichtet, 2022, 29, Nr. 5, 19-23. ("Did the 1986 parental leave reform in the GDR improve maternal health in the long run?")

2020

Heisig, Katharina (2020). Deutsche Einheit? Die Teilzeitlücke schließt sich im Schneckentempo. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2020, 27, Nr. 5, 22-23. ("German Unity? The part-time gap is closing at a snail's pace")

Heisig, Katharina (2020). Wohin es die Deutschen im Sommer nach dem Shutdown zieht. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2020, 27, Nr. 4, 21-23. ("Where the Germans will travel in the summer after the shutdown")

Katharina Heisig and Larissa Zierow (2020). Elternzeitverlängerung in der DDR: Langfristig höhere Lebenszufriedenheit der Kinder. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2020, 27, Nr. 2, 7-9. ("Parental leave extension in the GDR: Increased long-term life satisfaction of children")

2019

Heisig, Katharina (2019). Vom Sinn einer geschlechtsneutralen Erziehung und Bildung. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2019, 26, Nr. 2, 12-16. ("On the meaning of a gender-neutral education")

Heisig, Katharina and Larissa Zierow (2019). Einjährige Elternzeit erhöhte Lebenszufriedenheit der Kinder in der DDR. Ökonomenstimme, 24.10.2019. ("One-year of parental leave increased life satisfaction of children in the GDR")

Dähne, Nils and Katharina Heisig (2019). Strukturierte Kooperation könnte die Innovationsaktivität kleiner und mittlerer Unternehmen in Sachsen nachhaltig verbessern. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2019, 26, Nr. 4, 8-11. ("Structured cooperation could sustainably improve the innovation activity of small and medium-sized enterprises in Saxony")

2018

Hansen, Jaqueline and Katharina Heisig (2018). Mit intensiver Betreuung zum regulären Schulabschluss. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2018, 25, Nr. 6, 7-11. ("With intensive support to regular school graduation")

Hansen, Jaqueline and Katharina Heisig (2018). 15 Jahre EU-Osterweiterung: Ostdeutsche Bundesländer profitieren am meisten von neuen Handelspartnerschaften. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2018, 25, Nr. 5, 5-9. ("15 Years of EU Expansion to the East: East German States Profit Most from New Trade Partnerships")

Heisig, Katharina (2018). Bundesländerunterschiede im Förderschulsystem. ifo Dresden berichtet, 2018, 25, Nr. 5, 10-16. ("Federal state differences in the special school system")

2017

Heisig, Katharina and Julia Sonnenburg (2017). Schulabgänger ohne Abschluss: Wodurch lassen sich die Unterschiede zwischen Ost- und Westdeutschland erklären? ifo Dresden berichtet, 2017, 24, Nr. 6, 7-13. ("School drop outs: What explains the differences between East and West Germany?")

Heisig, Katharina, Rösel, Felix, and Julia Sonnenburg (2017). Traumabitur 1,0 – Woher kommt Sachsens Bildungselite? ifo Dresden berichtet, 2017, 24, Nr. 5, 3-8. ("Dream Abitur 1.0 - Where does Saxony's Educational Elite Comes From?")

Heisig, Katharina and Michael Weber (2017). Warum bleiben Ausbildungsstellen in Sachsen unbesetzt? ifo Dresden berichtet, 2017,  24, Nr. 5, 31-34. ("Why do apprenticeship positions in Saxony remain vacant?")