Fertility, Employment, and Child-Care Costs

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Citation

Blau, David M. & Robins, Philip K. (1989). Fertility, Employment, and Child-Care Costs. Demography, 26(2), 287-299.

Abstract

A sample of labor-market and birth histories is used to estimate the effects of child-care costs on employment and fertility decisions. A reduced-form empirical analysis is performed, which is based on hazard functions for transitions among various fertility-employment states. Higher child-care costs result in a lower birth rate for nonemployed women but not for employed women. Higher child-care costs also lead to an increase in the rate of leaving employment and a reduction in the rate of entering employment. The results suggest that potential behavioral effects of child-care subsidies could be significant and should be taken into account when alternative child-care policies are being debated

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2061526

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

1989

Journal Title

Demography

Author(s)

Blau, David M.
Robins, Philip K.