Women’s Employment and the Transition to Parenthood: New Evidence

What is the link between couples’ employment and having a first child? A pan-European survey conducted in 24 countries makes it possible to compare situations. The study by Angela Greulich and Michael Rendall (University of Maryland) shows that couples in which both partners have stable, full-time jobs are more likely to have a first child than those in which only the man works, or those in which neither partner has secure full-time employment. In other words, the “male breadwinner” model is now less conducive to having a child than the dual-earner model.

Even if this may seem counterintuitive, the positive association between women’s stable full-time employment and first births is observed in all the countries studied, whether in Western, Southern or Eastern Europe. It also holds for all levels of women’s education, from the least educated to the most highly educated. The findings suggest that a stable job is no longer just an advantage, but often a precondition for embarking on parenthood, especially for women.

This work calls for a rethinking of family and employment policies: improving women’s access to stable, good-quality jobs, securing career paths and making it easier to balance work and family life appears to be a key way to support the childbearing plans of younger generations in Europe.

Angela Greulich, Michael S. Rendall, “An Ongoing Gender Revolution in Europe: Women’s Stable Employment as a Precondition for Partnered First Births”, Population Research and Policy Review, vol. 45, article n° 8 (2026), Published February 9th, 2026.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-026-09990-6