Fertility, Female Labor Force Participation, and the Demographic Dividend
We estimate the effect of fertility on female labor force participation in a cross-country panel data set using abortion legislation as an instrument for fertility. We find a large negative effect of the fertility rate on female labor force participation. The direct effect is concentrated among those aged 20-39, but we find that cohort participation is persistent over time giving an effect among older women. We present a simulation model of the effect of fertility reduction on income per capita, taking into account these changes in female labor force participation as well as population numbers and age structure.
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Copy CitationDavid E. Bloom, David Canning, Günther Fink, and Jocelyn E. Finlay, "Fertility, Female Labor Force Participation, and the Demographic Dividend," NBER Working Paper 13583 (2007), https://doi.org/10.3386/w13583.
Published Versions
David Bloom & David Canning & Günther Fink & Jocelyn Finlay, 2009. "Fertility, female labor force participation, and the demographic dividend," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 79-101, June. citation courtesy of 
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