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Women’s labour force participation and family formation: the case of Canadian women

Pascale Beaupré, Statistics Canada
Pierre Turcotte, Statistics Canada

The “traditional” family in which the father is the economic provider and the mother stays at home is no longer the predominant family model. While the “second demographic transition” was underway, women were massively entering the labour force. This study will assess the effect of Canadian women’s labour force participation on the likelihood of family formation and how this effect has evolved over time. Given the" independence hypothesis”: Has the rise in female employment provided women the independence to avoid family roles or is the increase in women’s earnings also has an “income effect”, making family formation more feasible? With 2001 Canadian General Social Survey, we highlight differences in family formation process for women, considering most carefully the changing effects of their labour force participation. The analysis uses stable and time-varying respondent characteristics. Cox models are used to assess the effects of factors influencing the likelihood of having a first child.

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Presented in Session 117: Labour market changes and their impact on family formation