Having children is becoming increasingly difficult. Around the world, the fertility rate has been falling over time. According to data from the World Bank, in 1960, it was 4.7 births per woman and, in 2024, 2.2. The Brazilian rate is below average, at 1.6, equal to that of developed countries, such as and . At the same time, fortunately, people are living longer. As a result, we observe a mismatch between the number of births and the rate of aging of the population.
One of the main causes of fertility decline is the increasing participation of women in the labor force. On average, women continue to dedicate more time to caring for their children than men. With greater insertion in , having children starts to require a higher cost in terms of rent, time and professional opportunities.
According to the article “Fertility in High-Income Countries: Trends, Patterns, Determinants, and Consequences”, an economy with fewer young people may suffer a reduction in productivity and labor supply, as well as a decline in innovation, as an older population demands fewer innovative products and may present a lower level of entrepreneurship. In this context, policies that encourage increased fertility can generate benefits for the economy.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed a problem faced by many women: the care crisis. She brought to light the overload of female work. At the same time, it normalized remote working and showed that it is possible to have greater flexibility in work contracts, which allows caregivers to better balance their daily tasks. And could more flexibility change decisions about whether or not to have children? According to the article “Work from Home and Fertility”, yes. According to the authors, occupations that allow remote work offer greater flexibility for care. This makes life easier for caregivers and can influence fertility decisions.
The authors analyze how hybrid work relates to the decision to have children, both among single and married people. In this case, hybrid work means working at least one day from home and the other days in person.
The study brings together data from a survey carried out in 38 countries, including Brazil, as well as another focused on the USA, with people aged 20 to 45. To measure fertility, the authors consider three aspects: how many children people have recently had (from 2023 to 2025), how many they intend to have and the expected total over their lifetime.
The study shows a positive effect on the three fertility measures among respondents who work in a hybrid regime. As women are still primarily responsible for childcare, policies that promote greater flexibility or a more balanced division of these tasks between spouses can encourage increased fertility.
For women with partners, an increase in the proportion of remote work in their own occupation increases the annual fertility rate by around 7.3% in relation to the sample average. When the partner’s remote work is also considered, the total effect reaches around 14%. The effect on lifetime fertility when both partners work remotely at least one day a week is 14.3% greater, which is equivalent to 0.32 children per woman.
The results are encouraging. The increase in the supply of hybrid jobs, which appears to be here to stay, increases fertility by expanding job opportunities that are more compatible with family life, in the present and in the future. Thus, the expectation of greater flexibility, today and in the future, changes long-term decisions, as hybrid work can facilitate the reconciliation of care and full-time work.
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