Full Citation

Title: The effect of compulsory schooling laws and child labor restrictions on fertility: evidence from the early twentieth century

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2023

ISBN:

ISSN: 0933-1433

DOI: 10.1007/s00148-021-00838-1

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: This paper uses census data to examine the impact of child labor restrictions imposed by compulsory schooling laws and child labor regulation on fertility. By exploiting variation induced by changes in legislation across time and between US states during the early twentieth century, I show that parents chose to have fewer children in response to the constraints imposed on the labor supply of their potential children and the increase in their expected quality. My findings suggest that compulsory schooling laws and child labor regulation contributed to the demographic transition in the US and provide additional empirical support for the notion that financial incentives play a role in determining household fertility decisions.

Url: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00148-021-00838-1

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Shanan, Yannay

Periodical (Full): Journal of Population Economics

Issue:

Volume: 36

Pages: 321-358

Data Collections: IPUMS USA, IPUMS USA - Ancestry Full Count Data

Topics: Fertility and Mortality, Labor Force and Occupational Structure

Countries: