Not the right time for children
unemployment, fertility, and abortion
Informazioni aggiuntive
Autori
Tipo
Articolo pubblicato in rivista scientifica
Anno
2024
Lingua
Inglese
Sommario
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.
Parole chiave
Fertility choice , Abortion ratio , Local economic conditions , Unemployment rate , Shift-share
Periodico
Labour Economics
Volume
87
Pagine (o numero dell’articolo)
102492
Diffusione
Licenza
CC BY
Visibilità
Pubblico
Status open access
Hybrid
