Fertility Effects on Female Labor Supply: IV Evidence from IVF Treatments

Petter Lundborg, Erik Plug () and Astrid Würtz Rasmussen ()
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Astrid Würtz Rasmussen: Aarhus University

No 8609, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper introduces a new IV strategy based on IVF induced fertility variation in childless families to estimate the causal effect of having children on female labor supply using IVF treated women in Denmark. Because observed chances of IVF success do not depend on labor market histories, IVF treatment success provides a plausible instrument for childbearing. Our IV estimates indicate that fertility effects are: (a) negative, large and long lasting; (b) much stronger at the extensive margin than at the intensive margin; and (c) similar for mothers, not treated with IVF, which suggests that IVF findings have a wider generalizability.

Keywords: children; extensive and intensive fertility margins; female labor supply (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J13 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 39 pages
Date: 2014-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab and nep-lma
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

Published - published as "Can Women Have Children and a Career? IV Evidence from IVF Treatments" in: American Economic Review, June 2017, 107 (6), 1611-37

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