RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Booms, Busts, and Fertility
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 1
OP 29
DO 10.3368/jhr.51.1.1
VO 51
IS 1
A1 Jessamyn Schaller
YR 2016
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/51/1/1.abstract
AB In this paper, I present estimates of the effect of local labor demand shocks on birth rates. To identify exogenous variation in male and female labor demand, I create indices that exploit cross-sectional variation in industry composition, changes in gender-education composition within industries, and growth in national industry employment. Consistent with economic theory, I find that improvements in men’s labor market conditions are associated with increases in fertility while improvements in women’s labor market conditions have smaller negative effects. I separately find that increases in unemployment rates are associated with small decreases in birth rates at the state level.