Remote work and fertility plans: A dual-income household analysis

Women’s career-related opportunity costs are widely recognized as a key factor contributing to low fertility rates in high-income countries. While demographers have hypothesized that greater male involvement in family care could boost fertility rates, the potential role of remote work in facilitating such involvement remains underexplored. This study examines how different remote work arrangements within dual-income couples affect the fertility intentions of both partners. Using data from the Generations and Gender Survey across seven European countries, I account for a wide range of socio-economic, employment, household, and childcare characteristics through an Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA). I find that in households where only men frequently work remotely, the expectation that fathers will assume greater family care responsibilities increases women’s fertility intentions but decreases those of men.