Postponement of parenthood and childlessness from a perspective of socio-professional characteristics of women in Serbia

Abstract

Birth postponement is a characteristic of reproductive behaviour that has produced low fertility rate. Also, childlessness is being more and more extensive. In this text, the effort is made in order to take a closer look into these two phenomena taking into account socio-professional characteristics of women born in 1950s and later. Accordingly, generations with whom changes in fields of education and economic activities had started are included as well as the ones in which emancipation process has been intensified. Analysis is directed towards viewing the share of childless women by occupations, based on Serbian Census from 2011. Data that are related to all economically active women indicate significant differentiation between occupations. The highest shares are in age cohort 25 to 29 years old, but are also high among women aged 30 to 39 years old. Birth postponement and childlessness are more present within particular manager professions and experts than within occupations that require only secondary education. These two phenomena are specificity of few professions within social science but the least present among pre-school and elementary school teachers. Among women aged 45 to 49 years, 50 to 54 years and 55 to 59 years old within same professions, significant differences in terms of being reproductively active are not notable. Specific behaviours of women with particular socio-professional characteristics are obvious but descriptive analysis are just the first step for more profound researches on professions influencing child bearing decisions.