Parental leave policies and continued childbearing in Iceland, Norway, and Sweden

Abstract

BACKGROUND Demographic theories maintain that family policies that support gender equality may lead to higher fertility levels in postindustrial societies. This phenomenon is often exemplified by the situation in the Nordic countries. These countries have parental leave policies that promote a gender-equal work-care balance for both parents, and these countries have comparatively high fertility levels. However, very little is known about the association between these policies and childbearing at the individual level. OBJECTIVE We explore how fathers' parental leave use is related to subsequent childbearing in Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, and we examine whether differences exist in childbearing outcomes among fathers who use no leave, those who use only the leave allocated to them by the policy, and those who use more than that amount of leave. METHODS The study is based on 15 years of administrative register data on parental leave use in Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Event history analysis is used to follow parental couples

Why fertility has been declining in Finland after the Global Recession?

“…As to gender theories, there is an urgent need to expand the theory towards the male perspective (e.g., Jalovaara et al 2019). Despite the still existing gender inequalities in labour market outcomes, the trend towards the equalisation of care work at home may have unexpected fertility consequences (e.g., Duvander et al 2019).…”

“…A recent register study from Iceland, Norway and Sweden showed a positive association between fathers' leave use and second births in all three countries (Duvander et al 2019). However, there was a negative association between fathers' parental leave use and third births in Norway and Sweden.…”

Not just later, but fewer: novel trends in cohort fertility in the Nordic countries

“…When we look at parity distributions in the Nordic countries, we see that childlessness levels are around the European average (Sobotka 2017a), and that the two-child norm is strong (Frejka 2008;Duvander et al 2019). In all of the Nordic countries, ultimate childlessness rose slightly starting with the 1950s cohorts, but plateaued for the 1960-1970s cohorts at a level ranging from 12% in Norway to 15% in Sweden (Andersson 2009;Jalovaara et al 2019).…”

“…Understanding fertility in the Nordic countries can contribute to our understanding of fertility trends in countries beyond the region, as the Nordic countries are often seen as forerunners in fertility behavior, and a number of recent fertility theories are based on the empirical associations between gender equality and fertility observed in the Nordic countries (Duvander et al 2019). It has, for example, been argued that at later phases in the demographic transition, improvements in gender equity may prevent fertility from falling to very low levels (Esping-Andersen 2009;McDonald 2000McDonald , 2013.…”

“…Micro-level findings within the Nordic countries have already pointed out that the relationship between gender equality and fertility is often ambiguous. These results have, for example, suggested that the greater involvement of fathers in family life increases the risk of having a second birth, but not necessarily of having a third birth (Brodmann, Esping-Andersen, and Güell 2007;Duvander, Lappegård, and Andersson 2010;Miettinen, Lainiala, and Rotkirch 2015;Duvander et al 2019).…”