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Family-Friendly Policies and Fertility: What Firms Have to Do With It?

Author

Listed:
  • Olympia Bover

    (CEMFI)

  • Nezih Guner

    (CEMFI)

  • Yuliya Kulikova

    (Bank of Spain)

  • Alessandro Ruggieri

    (CUNER Universidad)

  • Carlos Sanz

    (Banco de Espana)

Abstract

Family-friendly policies aim to help women balance work and family life, encouraging them to participate in the labor market. How effective are such policies in increasing fertility? We answer this question using a search model of the labor market where firms make hiring, promotion, and firing decisions, taking into account how these decisions affect workers’ fertility incentives and labor force participation decisions. We estimate the model using administrative data from Spain, a country with very low fertility and a highly regulated labor market. We use the model to study family-friendly policies and demonstrate that firms' reactions result in a trade-off: policies that increase fertility reduce women's participation in the labor market and lower their lifetime earnings.

Suggested Citation

  • Olympia Bover & Nezih Guner & Yuliya Kulikova & Alessandro Ruggieri & Carlos Sanz, 2025. "Family-Friendly Policies and Fertility: What Firms Have to Do With It?," Working Papers 2025-006, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    • Handle: RePEc:hka:wpaper:2025-006
    Note: FI
    as

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    File URL: http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Bover_Guner_Kulikova_etal_2025_family-friendly-fertility-firms.pdf
    File Function: First version, July 16, 2025
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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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