Education, Work, and Childbearing after Age 30

Abstract

Throughout much of the developed world, increasing numbers of women are delaying their entry into motherhood. In this study we examine the determinants of first-births among women who were childless at aged 30 and older, and test a number of hypotheses based upon three perspectives that may explain this phenomenon. While we are concerned primarily with the effects of education and employment, we also include a number of other explanatory variables that may have impact upon delayed childbearing. Our results suggest that both school enrolment and employment tend to reduce the odds of a woman becoming a mother, while level of education increases the likelihood. We also find a significant interaction effect between education and employment, and speculate that how a woman utilizes her education determines how employment affects her chances of becoming a mother.