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An explanation of the positive correlation between fertility and female employment across Western European countries

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Abstract

Recent literature shows the puzzling result of a positive and significant cross-country correlation between the total fertility rate and the female labour force participation rate across Western European countries. The present paper shows that this cross-country correlation becomes negative and significant, once one corrects the total fertility rate for a distortion, caused by an increasing age of childbearing, and controls in cross-country regressions for purchased child care use and female long-term unemployment. This result survives an empirical analysis in which the female labour force participation rate is treated as an endogenous variable.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomas Kögel, 2006. "An explanation of the positive correlation between fertility and female employment across Western European countries," Discussion Paper Series 2006_11, Department of Economics, Loughborough University.
    • Handle: RePEc:lbo:lbowps:2006_11
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    File URL: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ec/RePEc/lbo/lbowps/Fertility_puzzle.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Tomas Kögel, 2006. "Swedish Family Policy, Fertility and Female Wages," Discussion Paper Series 2006_7, Department of Economics, Loughborough University.
    2. Anna Matysiak & Daniele Vignoli, 2008. "Fertility and Women’s Employment: A Meta-analysis," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 24(4), pages 363-384, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Total fertility rate; female labour force participation rate; purchased child care; female unemployment.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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