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Women's fertility and labor market responses to a health innovation

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posted on 2023-06-07, 08:01 authored by Selma WaltherSelma Walther, Atheendar Venkataramani, Sonia Bhalotra
We investigate women’s fertility, labor and marriage market responses to a health innovation that led to reductions in mortality from treatable causes, and especially large declines in child mortality. We find delayed childbearing, with lower intensive and extensive margin fertility, a decline in the chances of ever having married, increased labor force participation and an improvement in occupational status. Our results provide the first evidence that improvements in child survival allow women to start fertility later and invest more in the labor market. We present a new theory of fertility that incorporates dynamic choices and reconciles our findings with existing models of behavior.

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Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Journal of the European Economic Association

ISSN

1542-4766

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Page range

1-52

Department affiliated with

  • Economics Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2023-01-31

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2023-01-31

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2023-01-30

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