Not the right time for children
unemployment, fertility, and abortion
Additional information
Authors
Type
Journal Article
Year
2024
Language
English
Abstract
I analyze the effect of local unemployment rates on fertility rates, abortion rates, and the abortions to pregnancies ratio, combining population statistics and administrative data on induced abortions performed in Italy between 2004 and 2016. Using a shift-share instrument measuring labor demand, I exploit demand-driven shocks to unemployment. The findings indicate that both childbearing and abortions behave pro-cyclically, thus suggesting that changes in fertility rates arise not just from changes in planned pregnancy but also from a higher incidence of abortions. These effects are driven by women above 25 years old, and are particularly large in the 35–49 age group, while younger women are largely unaffected.
Keywords
Fertility choice , Abortion ratio , Local economic conditions , Unemployment rate , Shift-share
Journal
Labour Economics
Volume
87
Pages (or article number)
102492
Diffusion
License
CC BY
Visibility
Public
Status open access
Hybrid
