U.S. Fertility Trends in Comparative Perspective: Education and Workforce Interactions

Ward Kingkade, U.S. Census Bureau

Previous research has shown education and female labor force participation to be significant predictors of fertility levels in many countries, as well as significant determinants of differential fertility among ethnic subpopulations in the United States. These factors seem likely to be important in explaining the high fertility exhibited by the U.S. population compared with other developed countries. This paper employs a detailed database on fertility levels by cohort and parity among ethnic groups in the United States and at the national level in a set of industrialized countries. Trends in parity-specific fertility, including increasing childlessness and postponement of fertility shall be related to changes in educational levels through analysis of data from multiple sources, including Current Population Survey fertility supplements going back at least 20 years.