Lomonosov Economics Journal · 2020 · 10 citations · 16 references
Social SciencesDemographyVocational EducationFertilityReproductive DemographySocial DemographyAge-specific FertilityDeterminants Of FertilityFertility EstimationFertility MeasurementReproductive DecisionsTotal Fertility RateFertility BehaviorFertility Estimation From Survey DataInstrumental Variables SpecificationReproductive Age WomenReproductive Behavior EffectsSocioeconomic Determinants Of FertilityVocational Higher EducationWork-life Balance Benefits
The paper examines influence of high-speed (broadband) Internet on fertility choice analyzed Russian panel data based on RLMS-HSE from 2014 to 2018. Using an instrumental variables strategy that exploits variations of broadband Internet access for households we find that determined broadband internet use leads to a positive effect on fertility for women of older reproductive age (from 25 to 49) and birth of second and further child is more affected. We attribute this effect to the ability of teleworking and building a better work-life balance. From our results this mechanism is relevant only for women with secondary and higher vocational education, that are more likely to work in professions with a higher probability of telework.
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