The Impact of Fertility on Female Labor Supply in Brazil: Natural Experiments at Different Parity Progressions

Laeticia Souza, Centro de Desenvolvimento e Planejamento Regional (CEDEPLAR)
Eduardo L.G. Rios-Neto, Centro de Desenvolvimento e Planejamento Regional (CEDEPLAR)
Bernardo L. Queiroz, Centro de Desenvolvimento e Planejamento Regional (CEDEPLAR)

The relation between women's fertility and labor supply is widely discussed in the literature both in developed and developing nations (Souto-Maior, 1990; Goldin, 1997; Angrist & Evans, 1998; Maron & Meulders, 20071). Causality may run in both ways and be correlated with changes in socioeconomic and cultural factors (Becker, 1981; Scorzafave, 2001). Our purpose in this paper is to estimate the impact of fertility on female labor supply, particularly mothers. The endogeneity problem classical on these estimations is addressed in this paper with several alternative natural experiments for the progression between different parity levels (Angrist & Evans, 1998). Results are coherent with the literature and findings in other countries and regions of the world.