When Paid Work Matters for Fertility Intentions and Subsequent Behavior: Evidence from Two Waves of the Austrian Gender and Generation Survey

Abstract

The anticipated risk of job loss and material insecurity are related to fertility postponement in the same way as unemployment is. Given the sequential nature of fertility and occupational decisions, unfavorable working conditions should be resolved before having children, and result in an increase in people’s assignment of importance to paid work when developing their childbearing plans. We aim to demonstrate this link, focusing on perceived employment and material insecurity, the importance assigned to paid work in forming fertility intentions, the construction of fertility intentions, and their realization. Using two waves of the Austrian Generations and Gender Survey, we apply probit regressions to analyze gender variations in the associations between uncertainty conditions, the importance of paid work, fertility intentions and behavior. Results reveal that work and related benefits become salient when they are insecure, and that material insecurity among men discourages childbearing. For women, we find support for the hypothesis that the anticipated risk of job loss inhibits the realization of fertility intentions – intentions which are less likely to be constructed under such conditions from the onset of family planning processes.

Second-Child Fertility Intentions among Urban Women in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The findings of this study are consistent with Testa, Maria Rita (2014), who described a positive association between women’s level of education and lifetime fertility intentions [ 37 ]. Furthermore, the increased risk of unemployment can inhibit women’s intention to have children [ 69 ]. A steady job means a stable income.…”

The Realization of Short-Term Fertility Intentions Among Immigrants and Children of Immigrants in Norway and Sweden

“…Moreover, whereas earlier research on immigrant fertility has focused primarily on patterns among women (e.g., Andersson 2004;Milewski 2007;Mussino and Strozza 2012), this article examines realization patterns among both male and female immigrants. Finally, this article demonstrates the value of analyzing the realization of both positive and negative intentions, in contrast to many earlier studies on the realization of fertility intentions which explored only the realization of positive intentions (e.g., Dommermuth, Klobas and Lappegård 2015;Hanappi and Buber-Ennser 2017;Kapitány and Spéder 2012;Spéder and Kapitány 2014).…”

“…Similarly, this article shows that the propensity to realize a negative fertility intention may differ significantly between groups in society, demonstrating the value of studying the realization of both positive and negative fertility intentions. Earlier research on the realization of fertility intentions often only focused on the realization of positive intentions (e.g., Dommermuth, Klobas and Lappegård 2015;Hanappi and Buber-Ennser 2017;Kapitány and Spéder 2012;Spéder and Kapitány 2014). This article's main limitation is the relatively small number of respondents with an immigrant background, which imposed constraints on the analyses, most notably in restricting the possibilities to distinguish among groups of immigrants while maintaining statistical power.…”

“…Thus, a possible reason for realization differences between immigrants and natives is compositional differences in characteristics that affect control over realization. Earlier research has identified a large set of demographic, socioeconomic, and other factors that may enable or hinder realization (e.g., Dommermuth, Klobas and Lappegård 2015; Hanappi and Buber-Ennser 2017; Kapitány and Spéder 2012; Kuhnt and Trappe 2016; Régnier-Loilier and Vignoli 2011; Rinesi et al 2011; Spéder and Kapitány 2009; 2014).…”

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