title: Parental benefits, employment, and fertility dynamics.
abstract: "This paper investigates the effect of parental benefits on the timing and spacing of births and on employment dynamics of Swedish women.  Using microdata on wages and incomes, I estimate a reduced-form multistate duration model of the bivariate life-cycle fertility and employment process. The paper provides an example of the application of empirical procedures to develop and evaluate multistate hazard models.  Estimation results are mixed, with estimated wage effects generally consistent with theoretical predications while estimated effects of the benefits are not. The evaluation procedures offer valuable diagnostic information and suggest several avenues for future research."
mesh_terms: D001721:Birth Intervals; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D004467:Economics; D004651:Employment; D005060:Europe; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005298:Fertility; D007182:Income; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011153:Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012106:Research; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Birth Spacing; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Economic Factors; Employment--women; Europe; Family Planning; Fertility; Income; Macroeconomic Factors; Maternity Benefits; Microeconomic Factors; Models, Theoretical; Northern Europe; Paternity Benefits; Population; Population Dynamics; Research Methodology; Scandinavia; Socioeconomic Factors; Sweden; Time Factors; Wages--women