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The impact of unemployment on the transition to parenthood

Author

Listed:
  • Berkay Özcan

    (London School of Economics and Political Science)

  • Karl Ulrich Mayer

    (Yale University)

  • Joerg Luedicke

    (Yale University)

Abstract

This paper seeks to advance our understanding about the impact of unemployment on fertility. From a theoretical perspective, both negative and positive effects might be expected. Existing empirical studies have produced contradictory results, partly because of varying institutional contexts, the use of different measures, and left-censoring problems. We address these theoretical and methodological problems in the extant literature. Our data comes from the German Life History Study (GLHS) and, in particular, the data on the 1971 cohort, which was collected in two representative and retrospective surveys conducted in East and West Germany in 1996-1998 and 2005. Using monthly information, we perform event history analysis to identify the timing of fertility for both men and women conditional on a number of covariates. We present our results as a comparison between East and West Germany, as the institutional contexts, the labour markets, and the value systems differ considerably between the two parts of the German state.

Suggested Citation

  • Berkay Özcan & Karl Ulrich Mayer & Joerg Luedicke, 2010. "The impact of unemployment on the transition to parenthood," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 23(29), pages 807-846.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:23:y:2010:i:29
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2010.23.29
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Felix Büchel & C. Katharina Spieß, 2002. "Kindertageseinrichtungen und Müttererwerbstätigkeit: neue Erkenntnisse zu einem bekannten Zusammenhang," Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung / Quarterly Journal of Economic Research, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 71(1), pages 95-113.
    2. Esping-Andersen, Gosta, 1999. "Social Foundations of Postindustrial Economies," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198742005.
    3. Angelika Tölke & Martin Diewald, 2003. "Insecurities in employment and occupational careers and their impact on the transition to fatherhood in Western Germany," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 9(3), pages 41-68.
    4. Øystein Kravdal, 2002. "The impact of individual and aggregate unemployment on fertility in Norway," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 6(10), pages 263-294.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    unemployment; transition; parenthood;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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