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Work from Home and Fertility

Author

Listed:
  • Cevat Giray Aksoy

    (EBRD, King’s College London and CEPR)

  • Jose Maria Barrero

    (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México)

  • Nicholas Bloom

    (Stanford University)

  • Katelyn Cranney

    (Stanford University)

  • Steven J. Davis

    (The Hoover Institution at Stanford University)

  • Mathias Dolls

    (Ifo Institute)

  • Pablo Zarate

    (Princeton University)

Abstract

We investigate how fertility relates to work from home (WFH) in the post-pandemicera, drawing on original data from our Global Survey of Working Arrangements andU.S. Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes. Realized fertility from 2023 to2025 and future planned fertility are higher among adults who WFH at least one day a week and, for couples, higher yet when both partners do so. Estimated lifetime fertility is greater by 0.32 children per woman when both partners WFH one or more days per week as compared to the case where neither does. The implications for national fertility rates differ across countries due mainly to large differences in WFH rates. In a complementary analysis using other U.S. data before and after the pandemic, one-year fertility rates rise with WFH opportunities in one’s own occupation and, for couples, in the partner’s occupation.

Suggested Citation

  • Cevat Giray Aksoy & Jose Maria Barrero & Nicholas Bloom & Katelyn Cranney & Steven J. Davis & Mathias Dolls & Pablo Zarate, 2026. "Work from Home and Fertility," Working Papers 2026-36, Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bfi:wpaper:2026-36
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    File URL: https://repec.bfi.uchicago.edu/RePEc/pdfs/BFI_WP_2026-36.pdf
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