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

Doris Hanappi, Isabella Buber-Ennser

Publikation: Wissenschaftliche FachzeitschriftOriginalbeitrag in FachzeitschriftBegutachtung

28 Downloads (Pure)

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
benefi ts 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.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)245-280
FachzeitschriftComparative Population Studies - Zeitschrift für Bevölkerungswissenschaft
Jahrgang42
DOIs
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 28 Nov. 2017
Extern publiziertJa

Zitat