No More Babies without Help for Whom? Education, Division of Labor, and Fertility Intentions

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThis study examines whether the impact of husbands' involvement in childcare and housework on wives' fertility intentions varies by wives' education in Taiwan.BackgroundRecent research has pointed to the positive influence of a more egalitarian division of labor on wives' fertility intentions, yet existing literature often fails to examine educational variations in such linkages.MethodThis paper analyzed reports of time spent on domestic work (i.e., housework and childcare) for both spouses in the 2016 Women's Marriage, Fertility, and Employment Survey. The analytical sample included all married respondents with at least one child. Regression models and counterfactual analyses were adopted.ResultsThe findings showed that husbands of tertiary‐educated wives shared more housework and childcare. Furthermore, wives' fertility intentions beyond parity‐one increased with more input from husbands in helping with childcare, but not housework sharing. This positive childcare‐sharing effect was particularly salient among tertiary‐educated wives—who tended to be more economically empowered and to have higher expectations for gender equality at home. Finally, counterfactual analyses using a propensity score matching method indicated that non‐tertiary‐educated wives would not increase their fertility intentions even if they had received more help from husbands.ConclusionSuch educational variations have been little explored in past theory and research. Pro‐natalist policies aiming to boost fertility will likely attain optimal effectiveness if different combinations of parental‐leave and financial aid packages are offered to women with varying education. This study also contributes to the limited research on how division of labor affects fertility intentions in East Asia.