A Tradition of Public Service in Families

Abstract

While much is known about the public sector workforce, less is known about parental influences as a determinant of public sector work. This paper begins to answer this question by estimating a simple model of intergenerational transmission to test whether public sector work is passed down in families. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and its intergenerational component indicate that children of public sector mothers are five percentage points (42%) more likely to work in the public sector than the children of private sector mothers. Heterogeneity analyses reveal the important role unions play in the transmission of public sector work. However, the main results do not vary by child race or gender. The results have implications for recruitment strategies in the public sector and highlight the role of parents as possible sources of public service motivation for children.