Women´s Partnership and Labour Trajectories and Transitions to First and Second Births in Spain.

Cristina Suero , University of Vienna

The postponement of first childbirth is a widespread trend observed in many high-income countries. However, this delay does not necessarily imply a decrease in fertility rates. Previous research has shown that women who become mothers at later ages may compensate by reducing the spacing between subsequent births, leading to higher overall fertility rates. The aim of this research is to examine how women´s job and partnership trajectories over the life course influence the likelihood of delaying motherhood and the subsequent recuperation of births, considering women's educational levels. By utilizing data from the 2018 Spanish Fertility Survey and employing cure models, preliminary findings indicate that women who have been in long-term relationships are more likely to become mothers and do so at a faster pace. They also have a higher probability of having a second child, although with longer intervals between pregnancies. Women with stable employment trajectories tend to become mothers later, but there is no effect of employment stability on the propensity to have a first or a second child. The relationship between partnership stability and the transition to the first child and the relationship between labour stability and the transition to the second child are stronger for highly educated women. These findings reinforce the importance of partnership stability on fertility transitions. Moreover, they suggest that women with high education are more likely to adapt their fertility to their contextual and personal circumstances and, therefore, delay motherhood until they find their desired scenario to become mothers and recuperate births afterwards.

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 Presented in Session P1. Fertility, Family, Life Course