Class Disparities in Work-family Strategies and Fertility Intentions Among Working Couples in the United States

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Abstract

This study explores how different work-family strategies among U.S. couples are associated with fertility intentions and how these associations vary by class. Specifically, it investigates whether the division of paid and unpaid work influences couples' fertility intentions and whether these effects differ for upper-middle-class (college-educated) versus lower-class (either less than college education) couples. Using data from the 2020-2021 National Couples’ Health and Time Study (NCHAT), the analysis includes 995 heterosexual couples with women of reproductive age. Multinomial logistic regression models show that college-educated couples are more likely than less-educated couples to want a/another child, and less likely to be unsure about having a/another child. Furthermore, college-educated couples with an egalitarian work-family strategy (both partners working full-time) are more likely to want children compared to those with a traditional strategy (where only the man works full-time). However, among lower-educated couples, no significant difference in fertility intentions emerges between egalitarian and traditional work-family strategies. These findings suggest that an equal division of labor may be more appealing for having a/another child among upper-middle-class couples, while lower-class couples may not perceive it as advantageous.

Author

• Ji Won Choi, Pennsylvania State University