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Employment careers and the timing of first births in East Germany

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  • Michaela R. Kreyenfeld

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

Abstract

When German unification was accompanied by a rapid decline in aggregate fertility rates, researchers particularly assigned high unemployment rates a dominant role for changes in fertility behavior. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, we investigate changes in the timing of first birth in East Germany after unification. Using data from the SOEP, we show that even after unification East Germans are younger at first birth than their West German counterparts. Second, we investigate the relationship between male and female unemployment and first birth risks. A major result is that female unemployment fosters the transition into parenthood in East Germany. (AUTHORS)

Suggested Citation

  • Michaela R. Kreyenfeld, 2000. "Employment careers and the timing of first births in East Germany," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2000-004, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
  • Handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2000-004
    DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2000-004
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    1. Debra Friedman & Michael Hechter & Satoshi Kanazawa, 1994. "A theory of the value of children," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 31(3), pages 375-401, August.
    2. Elke Holst & Jürgen Schupp, 1995. "Aspekte der Arbeitsmarktentwicklung in Ostdeutschland: berufliche Aufstiege vorwiegend von Männern verwirklicht, öffentlicher Dienst bislang wichtiger Stabilisator für die Beschäftigung von Frauen," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 62(23), pages 401-410.
    3. Erika Schulz & Gert Wagner & James Witte, 1993. "Gegenwärtiger Geburtenrückgang in Ostdeutschland läßt mittelfristig einen "Babyboom" erwarten," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 83, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    4. Elke Holst & Jürgen Schupp, 1996. "Erwerbstätigkeit von Frauen in Ost- und Westdeutschland weiterhin von steigender Bedeutung," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 63(28), pages 461-469.
    5. Witte, James C. & Wagner, Gert G., 1995. "Declining Fertility in East Germany After Unification: A Demographic Response to Socioeconomic Change," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 21(2), pages 387-397.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sumon Kumar Bhaumik & Jeffrey B. Nugent, 2002. "Does Economic Uncertainty Have an Impact on Decisions to Bear Children? Evidence from Eastern Germany," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 491, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    2. Bhaumik, Sumon K. & Nugent, Jeffrey B., 2005. "Does Economic Uncertainty Affect the Decision to Bear Children? Evidence from East and West Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 1746, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Gutiérrez-Domènech, Maria, 2002. "The impact of the labour market on the timing of marriage and births in Spain," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 20053, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Bernhard, Sarah & Kurz, Karin, 2007. "Familie und Arbeitsmarkt : eine Längsschnittstudie zum Einfluss beruflicher Unsicherheiten auf die Familienerweiterung," IAB-Discussion Paper 200710, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    5. Maria Gutierrez-Domenech, 2002. "The Impact of the Labour Market on the Timing of Marriage and Births in Spain," CEP Discussion Papers dp0556, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    6. Hans-Peter Kohler & Iliana Kohler, 2002. "Fertility Decline in Russia in the Early and Mid 1990s: The Role of Economic Uncertainty and Labour Market Crises," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 18(3), pages 233-262, September.
    7. Niedergesäss, Markus, 2013. "Employment, partnership and childbearing decisions of German women and men: A simultaneous hazards approach," University of Tübingen Working Papers in Business and Economics 51, University of Tuebingen, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, School of Business and Economics.
    8. Ragui Assaad & Christine Binzel & May Gadallah, 2010. "Transitions To Employment And Marriage Among Young Men In Egypt," Middle East Development Journal (MEDJ), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(01), pages 39-88.
    9. José María Da Rocha & Luisa Fuster, 2003. "Why are Fertility and Female Participation Rates Positively Correlated across OECD countries?," Working Papers 72, Barcelona School of Economics.

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    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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