"Across much of the world, fertility rates are sliding to historic lows. In many high-income economies, women now have 1.5-1.8 children on average, well below the replacement rate of 2.1. At the same time, millions of white-collar workers have traded daily commutes for home offices."
"In a new working paper, my co-authors and I suggest that the ability to work from home is quietly pushing up birth rates. Among adults aged 20-45 who work from home at least one day per week, actual births since 2023 and planned family size are higher."
Global fertility rates have declined to historic lows, with many high-income economies experiencing average births of 1.5-1.8 children per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1. Simultaneously, remote work has become increasingly common among white-collar workers. A new study examining 38 countries found that adults aged 20-45 who work from home at least one day weekly report both higher actual births since 2023 and larger planned family sizes. This connection between remote work and fertility suggests that expanding work-from-home opportunities could boost birth rates more effectively than expensive government pronatalist policies designed to encourage childbearing.
Read at www.project-syndicate.org
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