Fertility and Labor Supply among Hispanic American Women / Frank D. Bean and Others.

This paper considers the effects of fertility on the labor supply of Cuban, Mexican, and Puerto Rican women in the United States. Drawing on the notion of "role incompatibility"--the degree to which the joint provision of child care and work are in conflict--the study examines whether having characteristics that increase the likelihood of participation in the secondary-type of labor market mitigates the effects of fertility on labor supply. The nature of the labor market to which these women might have access is indexed by the women's English proficiency, generational status, educational level, and husband's income level. In addition, the effects of the presence in the household of older children and other adults are considered. Results indicate that all of these variables are significant in their interactions with fertility. Further, although there are differences among the groups, in general the pattern of results is consistent with the prediction derived from the role-incompatibility hypothesis: high fertility will depress the female labor supply if and when women are placed in situations where they must choose between mothering and employment. Cuban American women seem to be less deterred from working by the presence of children in proportion to higher socioeconomic status and greater English proficiency. (CMG)

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