MPIDR Working Paper

Employment experience and first birth in Great Britain

Abstract

This article examines the effect of employment experience on first birth risks in Great Britain. The data used is from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). A positive effect of employment experience on first birth risks is found, in accordance with pre-dictions from economic models of fertility timing. This effect did not differ greatly between educational groups, in contrast to what was expected. Positive effects were found for all educational groups. An especially strong increase in first birth risks was found across the first year of employment spells.