Fertility and mothers’ employment: evidences from a longitudinal survey

While the impact of childbirth on women's labor force participation is often negative, its intensity and duration depend on social and economic factors. We evaluate the impacts of childbirth on women's employment using a unique longitudinal data with information on reproductive outcomes and intentions in Pernambuco, Brazil. Our empirical strategy uses random-effects non-linear models combined with a quasi-experimental approach to account for the non-randomness in childbirth. Results indicate a significant and persistent reduction in the probability of formal employment among recent mothers, while the effects on informal employment tend to be positive in the mid-term. We also found that the negative impacts of childbirth are mainly driven by parous women and unintended childbirths. We further discuss the mechanisms explaining how fertility outcomes and intensions can moderate the impacts of fertility on women's labor supply.