Work and Childbearing in the XXI Century: When Large Work Autonomy Meets High Job Demands

Anna Matysiak, University of Warsaw
Beata Osiewalska , University of Warsaw (1); Cracow University of Economics (2)
Ewa Weychert, University of Warsaw

We aim to investigate the role of growing job demands and increasing work resources for women’s fertility choices in labour markets that are undergoing rapid transformations due to globalization and digitalization. Specifically, we examine whether women who face demanding jobs are more likely to delay or abandon parenthood. Drawing on the job demands-resources framework, which posits that job resources can buffer the negative effects of job demands on workers' lives, we explore whether the availability of various resources can alleviate the negative association between job demands and childbearing. Job demands are assessed as a multidimensional construct measured by both work ‘extensification’ (work hours) and ‘intensification’ (job complexity), while job resources encompass autonomy over where and when to work. The study employs event history models for first and second births and uses panel data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics Survey in Australia (HILDA). Our preliminary findings indicate parity differences: Childless women are more likely to have children when their jobs are complex or full-time, while mothers with demanding jobs are less likely to have another child. In a latter case, working from home or work-time autonomy outweighs - to some extent - the negative link between job demands and subsequent childbearing.

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 Presented in Session 76. Fertility and Work Environment