Human capital inequalities : family structure matters.

Summary In recent decades, the family has undergone major changes in most OECD countries. On the one hand, the fertility rate has decreased. On the other hand, the number of separations has increased significantly. This thesis proposes to study the effects of these changes in family structure on the human capital of individuals, by considering it as a new source of inequalities. In a microeconomic framework, this thesis mobilizes econometric tools and applies them to large databases. The three chapters of this thesis present new results on the effect of parental separation and family size on the human capital of the individual. The first chapter focuses on the effect of parental separation in France on individuals' occupational success, and shows a negative effect of parental separation on the individual's educational level and social position. Using American data, the second chapter focuses on the mechanisms explaining this effect, and in particular, on changes in time spent with parents. Thus, 30% of the effect of parental separation on the socio-emotional development of children is explained by the decrease in time spent with at least one parent. The third chapter considers another aspect of family structure: family size. We find that the arrival of a third child in the family decreases the socio-emotional competencies of the other children, particularly for girls.