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World War II, the Baby Boom, and Employment: County-Level Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Abel Brodeur
  • Lamis Kattan

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of male casualties due to World War II on fertility and female employment in the United States. We rely on the number of casualties at the county level and use a difference-in-differences strategy. While most counties in the United States experienced a baby boom following the war, we find that the increase in fertility was lower in high-casualty-rate counties than in low-casualty-rate counties. Analyzing the channels through which male casualties could have decreased fertility, we provide evidence that county male casualties are positively related to 1950s female employment and household income.

Suggested Citation

  • Abel Brodeur & Lamis Kattan, 2022. "World War II, the Baby Boom, and Employment: County-Level Evidence," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(2), pages 437-471.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/715485
    DOI: 10.1086/715485
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    Cited by:

    1. Gonzalez, Felipe & Prem, Mounu & von Dessauer, Cristine, 2023. "Empowerment or Indoctrination? Women Centers Under Dictatorship," SocArXiv 64mf9, Center for Open Science.
    2. Yang, Junping & Zhang, Mengjie & Ballester-Miquel, José Carlos & Ribeiro-Navarrete, Samuel, 2022. "Exploring what drives entrepreneurs: Intergenerational differences between entrepreneurs born in the 1980s and 1990s," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    3. Braun, Sebastian T. & Stuhler, Jan, 2024. "The economic consequences of being widowed by war: A life-cycle perspective," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    4. Bellou, Andriana & Cardia, Emanuela & Lewis, Joshua, 2025. "From Bust to Boom: The Great Depression and Women's Fertility," IZA Discussion Papers 18120, IZA Network @ LISER.
    5. Gautier, Thomas, 2025. "From missing brothers to educated sisters: The effects of victimization during the Rwandan genocide," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 318207, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
    6. Esmée Zwiers, 2024. "Estimating the Lifecycle Fertility Consequences of WWII Using Bunching," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 24-027/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    7. Doepke, Matthias & Hannusch, Anne & Kindermann, Fabian & Tertilt, Michèle, 2022. "The Economics of Fertility: A New Era," IZA Discussion Papers 15224, IZA Network @ LISER.
    8. Joanne Haddad & Lamis Kattan, 2024. "Female-Specific Labor Regulation and Employment: Historical Evidence from the United States," CESifo Working Paper Series 11546, CESifo.
    9. González, Felipe & Prem, Mounu & von Dessauer, Cristine, 2024. "Empowerment or Indoctrination? Female Training Programs under Dictatorship," IZA Discussion Papers 17163, IZA Network @ LISER.
    10. Bose, Gautam & Jain, Tarun & Walker, Sarah, 2022. "Women’s labor force participation and household technology adoption," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    11. Christoph Halbmeier & Carsten Schröder, 2025. "The long-term implications of destruction during the Second World War on private wealth in Germany," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 161-235, March.
    12. Downes, Henry, 2025. "Did Organized Labor Induce Labor? Unionization and the American Baby Boom," SocArXiv kfcvs_v1, Center for Open Science.
    13. repec:osf:socarx:64mf9_v1 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • N3 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy
    • N4 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation

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