Fertility and labor market responses to reductions in mortality

Sonia Bhalotra, Atheendar Venkataramani and Selma Walther

No 2018-15, ISER Working Paper Series from Institute for Social and Economic Research

Abstract: We investigate womenÂ’s fertility, labor, and marriage market responses to large declines in child mortality in the U.S. Fertility declined on the intensive margin as expected. However, despite the increasing value of having at least one child, a larger share of women remained childless. We explain these fiÂ…ndings with a new theory of fertility that includes fertility timing and labor force participation as choices. Consistent with the modelÂ’s predictions, we fiÂ…nd that reductions in child mortality led women to delay childbearing, increase their labor force participation, improve their occupational status, and to be less likely to have ever married.

Date: 2018-12-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem and nep-hea
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Related works:
Working Paper: Fertility and Labor Market Responses to Reductions in Mortality (2022)
Working Paper: Fertility and Labor Market Responses to Reductions in Mortality (2022)
Working Paper: Fertility and Labor Market Responses to Reductions in Mortality (2018)
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