The Impact of Fertility on Mothers’ Remote Work

Benjamin Cowan and Mohamed Hafis Zida

No 35763, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper estimates the causal effect of fertility on mothers’ work arrangements, with a particular focus on remote work. Using harmonized individual-level data from the American Community Survey (ACS) for the period 2003--2024, we exploit exogenous variation in fertility generated by the sex composition of the first two children and twin births at the second parity. We find that fertility significantly reduces labor force participation across our sample period, consistent with existing evidence, but its effects on remote work are nuanced. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional child increases the likelihood of working remotely. However, these effects turn negative after 2020 when remote work became common. We show that these patterns are not driven by changing selection into teleworkable occupations nor by changes in the observable characteristics of compliers over time. The limited feasibility or attractiveness of remote work for many women, combined with changes in the nature of remote work over time, are more likely explanations. Taken together, these findings suggest that remote work, in its current form, has limited potential to meaningfully reduce child penalties for higher-order births.

JEL-codes: J13 J16 J22 J24 J32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-09
Note: CH LS
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