Macro-micro approach to the relationships between employment and fertility

Abstract

Researchers have pointed to joblessness, job insecurity, and related reduction in earnings as reasons for low fertility in recent decades. In particular, joblessness have been delaying marriage and fertility in the recent cohort of the youth. Not of few studies have demonstrated that the labor market changes have caused the demography phenomenon such as delays in marriage or never-married groups. In the meantime, work-family policies have been promoted to encourage female employment, but female employment could play a role in discouraging fertility. Work-family policies need to be seriously examined in terms of their impact on fertility as well as female employment. This study investigated how labor-market-related factors explain the decision on having the first child, and whether parental leave, which could reduce the risks of losing jobs due to pregnancies and parenting, effectively helps females workers have the first child.