Female employment and higher fertility policy goals in perfect harmony?

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1 Female employment and higher fertility policy goals in perfect harmony? What is the relationship between female employment and fertility? Assumptions of the science and media discourse about family policy in Europe in a critical review In comparative research on welfare state the new relationship between family and society is encapsulated in two formulas: The defamilisation and the farewell to maternalism. In the international debate, both forms represent the hope for emancipation that of the child from the closeness of the family and also that of the woman from the impertinences of the sole responsibility for the child [ ] (Ilona Ostner 2009). 1

2 Gender equality raises fertility : the common viewpoint in today s discussion The empirical evidence shows that European countries where gender inequality is lower are also the countries where fertility is the highest. [ ] At the individual level, egalitarian attitudes may not be correlated with earlier or higher fertility. [ ] We must therefore think about family policies in terms of their impact at the country level. [ ] When politicians ask us about ways to raise fertility in Europe, we can thus agree that governments in Europe should bemore aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility. [ ] Andthis could lead to an increase in fertility. [ ] So, let us make things simple: Yes, governments in Europe should definitely be more aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility! Laurent Toulemon: Should governments be more aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility? Rostock

3 Sustainability : Female employment and fertility as main benchmarks Sustainable family policy aims for an increase in birth rates and higher female employment. The experience in other countries such us Norway or Iceland has shown that an increased labor market participation of women does not necessarily go hand in hand with lower birth rates. Birth rate and employment are not contradictory, but can rather be considered complementary goals. [ ] In order to increase the demand for children and to raise the fertility rate, the opportunity cost of children needs to be brought down. [ ] Shortening the (unpaid) parental leave to, for instance, the end of the second year of life does not seem expedient today as child care facilities [ ] are by no means sufficient yet, in order to allow for the mother s reentrance[ ] into her career. In the long-run, the parents, and especially the mother s interruption of employment should be kept relatively short in order to counteract [ ]the depreciation of human capital. (Bert Rürup: Nachhaltige Familienpolitik, 2005) 3

4 Female employment rates and fertility Weak labor market participation of women tends to correlate with low fertility Female employment rate 2011 Data source: Eurostat: total fertility rate; labor force participation rate by gender, February 2013, 4

5 Hypotheses and questions Common assumptions in the discourse about family policy: Positive correlation between female employment and fertility Egalitarian gender relations and family background foster fertility Germany: Weak female employment and too low fertility German shortcomings root in lack of day care and support of the malebreadwinner model ( Ehegattensplitting etc.) Necessity of paradigmatic change in Germany (and Europe in general) Questions/remarks: What is the development of female employment across Europe? Do high female employment rates indicate gender equality? How can the positive correlation between fertility and female employment rates be explained? Does the goal of more extensive full-time female employment consort with a higher fertility? 5

6 Female employment in Europe today Rising female employment especially in Germany and The Netherlands Employment rate of women (15-64) Data source: Eurostat: labor force participation rate by gender, February

7 Employment of men in Europe Decreasing employment rates of men in large parts of Europe, especially in Southern Europe and Ireland Employment rate of men (15-64) Data source: Eurostat: labor force participation rate by gender, January 2014

8 Increase in women being employed part-time in percentage points( ) Development of female employment The development of female labor market participation is characterized by part-time employment Increase in female labor force participation rate in percentage points( ) Data source: Eurostat: labor force participation rate by gender, part-time employment, February

9 Female labor force participation rate 2011 Female employment and part-time work In Scandinavia, The Netherlands and Germany employment rates as well as part-time employment rates are much higher than in other parts of Europe Percentage of women employed part-time 2011 Data source: Eurostat: labor force participation rate; part-time employment, February

10 Total fertility rate (TFR) 2011 Part-time employment and fertility Higher fertility rates are positively correlated with more common female part-time employment Percentage of women employed part-time 2011 Data source: Eurostat: total fertility rate; part-time employment, February

11 Average weekly working hours of women in 2009 Work time regulation and fertility Long working weeks of women correlate with low fertility Weekly working hours Birth rate (TFR) in 2009 Data source: Eurostat: total fertility rate; average weekly hours worked in principal activity, February

12 Fertility and labor division of couples Full time employment of women correlates with fewer children Data source: Jürgen Dorbritz: Deutschland, ein Niedrigfertilitätsland strukturelle und kulturelle Ursachen niedriger Geburtenhäufigkeit, Vortrag Informationsveranstaltung zu demografischen Trends in Deutschland Berlin, (Datenquelle: Mikrozensus 2008). 12

13 Conclusion: Full-time work vs. fertility? Limits of work-family compatibility Female employment and fertility Conclusions Compatibility of family and career fosters female employment as well as fertility (Scandinavia as common best-practice model) Part-time employment contradicts gender equality Tension between policies promoting compatibility between family and career on the one hand and gender equality on the other? (C. Hakim) Lack of part-time employment and long working hours per week correlate with low fertility, even if there are extensive day care facilities (Example: Portugal) Day care can reduce the negative influence of full-time-work on fertility, but it does not eliminate it. Plurality of Preferences/Full-time-work and children only a minority-model The aim to increase the amount of female working hours contradicts the aim of rising fertility; under the condition of rising full-time employment more day care facilities are needed to prevent increasing childlessness und a further decrease in fertility 13

14 Sources and Literature Bert Rürup/Sandra Gruescu: Nachhaltige Familienpolitik im Interesse einer aktiven Bevölkerungsentwicklung, Berlin 2003; Nachhaltige Familienpolitik, in: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte /2005, S Malte Ristau: Der ökonomische Charme der Familie, in: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte /2005, S Ilona Ostner: Auf den Anfang kommt es an" - Anmerkungen zur Europäisierung" des Aufwachsens kleiner Kinder, S , in: Recht der Jugend und des Bildungswesens - Zeitschrift für Schule, Berufsbildung und Jugenderziehung 1/2009. Catherine Hakim: Women, careers, and work-life preferences, British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, Vol. 34, No. 3, August 2006, S Henriette Engelhardt: Zum Wandel der Korrelation von Fertilität und Frauenerwerbstätigkeit in Raum und Zeit: Eine empirische Analyse unter Berücksichtigung der Effekte ausgewählter sozialer Indikatoren, S , in: Zeitschrift für Familienforschung, 21. Jahrgang, Heft 3/2009. Laurent Toulemon: Should governments be more aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility? The first YES. in: Demographic Research, pp , in: Vol. 24, 2/2011. Berta van Schnoor/Susanne Seyda: Wie zufrieden sind Männer und Frauen mit ihrem Leben? S , in: Roman-Herzog-Institut (Hrsg.): Wie viel Familie verträgt die moderne Gesellschaft, München