Fathers’ involvement

In the last years, I have also developed interest in fathers’ involvement in the family and its consequences for men’s labour market outcomes and fertility. Numerous papers published over the last decade found an increase in men’s involvement in the family and suggested that it should lead to higher fertility, by lowering women’s opportunity costs of childrearing.

Higher fathers’ involvement may, however, also imply higher opportunity costs for men and consequently lower men’s intentions to have children. In a study with A. Baranowska-Rataj we showed that fatherhood premium, i.e. an increase in earnings men received after becoming fathers, is no longer paid to men in countries where the division of childcare and housework is more equal. In another study, with A. Rybińska, we also demonstrated that men’s involvement in childcare indeed lowers men’s willingness to have children, which may have its repercussions on fertility.