A wider look at female employment and childbirth in Italy

We explore the female employment-fertility relationship for a wide period, 2004-2019 in Italy. We adopt a dynamic approach when modelling both employment and fertility choices and allow for possible feedback effects from employment to future fertility decision. We also consider different employment outcomes and subgroup analysis. Our findings suggest childbirth has reduced the probability of female employment. The childbirth effect, however, evolved over time, and the related negative impact has increased after the Great Recession and the application of austerity measures. Full-time and permanent jobs were greatly affected by childbirth than part-time and temporary employment. Childbirth increases the probability of being a high-pay worker, indicating a greater ease to combine career and family, possibly because of the better accessibility of childcare services. Childcare tends to increase work intensity, suggesting a compensative role of other familymembers in terms of household labor supply. Sub-groups analysis reveals negative childbirth-effect is stronger for younger females, in the North-Centre regions, among non-poor household and in presence of employed husbands.