Educational field and fertility in western Germany: an analysis of women born between 1955 and 1959

Abstract

The existing research on education and fertility has been enriched by studies that take into account educational field in addition to educational level. The present paper adds western Germany, which has exceptionally high levels of childlessness, to the list of cases for which comparable research has been conducted. The association between educational attainment, childlessness, and ultimate fertility among women born between 1955 and 1959 is examined using data from the 2008 German Microcensus. Despite the strong association with the level of education, childlessness also varies by educational field in western Germany. Consistent with findings from other countries, the results show that women educated in teaching and health care have the lowest rates of childlessness at each educational level, while women educated in administration, economics or social sciences have the highest levels of childlessness. Educational field and level account equally for variation in ultimate fertility.

Educational field, economic uncertainty, and fertility decline in Finland in 2010–2019

“…However, while female fertility differences across levels of education are small -completed fertility differs by around 0.1 children per educational category (primary, upper secondary, tertiary) in Finland, and in other Nordic countries the gradient disappeared by the cohorts born in the 1970s (Jalovaara et al 2019) -the high average fertility levels mask large variation within the field of education. In many countries, including the Nordic countries, women in the fields of health and teaching form a class of their own, with the highest levels of fertility and the lowest levels of childlessness (Hoem, Neyer, and Andersson 2006b;Begall and Mills 2012;Michelmore and Musick 2014;Oppermann 2017). This is often attributed to the better working conditions and more supportive work-family environment in these fields (Hoem, Neyer, and Andersson 2006a), but also to the higher family orientation of women in these commonly female-dominated fields (Van Bavel 2010).…”

Educational field, economic uncertainty, and fertility decline in Finland in 2010–2019

“…However, while female fertility differences across levels of education are smallcompleted fertility differs by around 0.1 children per educational category (primary, upper secondary, tertiary) in Finland, and in other Nordic countries the gradient disappeared by the cohorts born in the 1970s (Jalovaara et al 2019)the high average fertility levels mask large variation within the field of education. In many countries, including the Nordic countries, women in the fields of health and teaching form a class of their own, with the highest levels of fertility and the lowest levels of childlessness (Hoem, Neyer, and Andersson 2006b;Begall and Mills 2012;Michelmore and Musick 2014;Oppermann 2017). This is often attributed to the better working conditions and more supportive work-family environment in these fields (Hoem, Neyer, and Andersson 2006a), but also to the higher family orientation of women in these commonly female-dominated fields (Van Bavel 2010).…”

Fertility, Economic Incentives and Individual Heterogeneity: Register Data-Based Evidence from France and Germany

“…Some work is descriptive (e.g. Rendall et al, 2005, Skirbekk et al, 2006, Isen & Stevenson, 2010, Oppermann, 2017 and some work uses regression analysis (e.g. Naz et al, 2006, Jones & Tertilt, 2008, McCrary & Royer, 2011, Cygan-Rehm & Maeder, 2013, Fort et al, 2016.…”