Mission Not Accomplished?

Key Messages

• European countries have redoubled their efforts to support families. However, divergent birth rate trends suggest that no “magic formula” has been found.

• A common characteristic among countries with stable or even increasing birth rates is a high degree of female labour force participation.

• More could be done to slow down the “Rush-hour of Life”, the period when starting a family overlaps with career development.

• Policies might include on-the-job training programmes following parental leave to facilitate the return to the labour market.

References

• Beets, G., J. Schippers and E. R. te Velde (eds.) (2011). The Future of Motherhood in Western Societies - Late Fertility and its Conse­quences, Springer.
• Billari, F. C., A. Goisis, A. C. Liefbroer, R. A. Settersten, A. Aassve, G. Hagestad and Z. Spéder (2010). Social age deadlines for the child­bearing of women and men. Human Reproduction, 26: 616-662.
• European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (2007). Parental leave in European companies, Establishment Survey on Working Time 2004–2005.
• Goldstein, J. R., T. Sobotka and A. Jasilioniene (2009). The End of “Lowest-Low” Fertility? Population and Development Review, 35(4): 663-699.
• Luci, A. and O. Thévenon (2011). Does economic development explain the fertility rebound in OECD countries? Population & Societies, 481, INED.
• Matysiak, A. (2011). Interdependencies between Fertility and Wom­en’s Labour Supply. European Studies of Population, 17, Springer.
• Myrskylä, M., H.-P. Kohler and F. C. Billari (2009). Advances in devel­opment reverse fertility declines. Nature, 460: 741-743.
• OECD (2010). OECD Family database.
• Sobotka, T. (2011). Reproductive decision-making in a macro-micro perspective (REPRO). Synthesis and policy implications. European Demographic Research Papers 1. Vienna Institute of Demography.
• Statistisches Bundesamt (2011). Wie leben Kinder in Deutschland?