Female Employment and Higher Fertility – Policy Goals in Perfect Harmony?

The debate on female employment and fertility has been shaped by the assumption that a stronger integration of women in the labor market would, under modernized circumstances such as extended day care services, promote higher fertility. Now, it is time to challenge the mentioned assumption, at least for the German case. In Germany, female employment now reaches a high level, comparable to Scandinavian countries. Advances in women´s employment are often relativized by referring to widespread part-time-employment. This viewpoint ignores the key role of part-time-work being crucial for work-family compatibility. The impact of full-time employment on women´s fertility remains clearly negative. Common assumptions on fertility, employment and gender equality have to be revisited, in due consideration to the role of part-time employment.