The unemployment delays the arrival of the first child in France

Abstract

• Men and women less frequently report wanting a first child in the near future if they are unemployed. Moreover, for those who do want to become parents, experience of unemployment delays the first birth. This postponement can be explained by delayed union formation for men, and by the desire to find a stable job for women. By contrast, unemployment does not affect the childbearing plans of persons who are already parents.
• A majority of Italians do not approve of mothers working, which explains why women there have lower employment rates and fewer children than women in France