A Couple-Perspective on Fertility Outcomes: Do Relative Resources Matter for First and Second Births?

Abstract

McDonald (2000) has suggested that socio-economic gender equity within couples is a crucial component in shaping women’s fertility decisions. Empirically, however, little is known about how couple dynamics are influencing fertility outcomes. This paper examines if gender equity, measured as relative levels of income, education, work hours, and occupational status, affects the transition to first and second births in Germany and the US. While studies have investigated the effect of the gendered division of household labor on birth transitions, I argue that it is problematic as an indicator of intra-couple gender equity because other research has shown that the division of household labor is itself an outcome of relative resources in couples. Using the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and the NLSY79 this paper will use event history and fixed-effects models to understand how relative resources, absolute resources, and their interaction affect the timing and likelihood of first and second births in couples in a comparison of Germany and the US.