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Changes in the Timing of First Birth in East Germany after Re-unification
Journal of Contextual Economics – Schmollers Jahrbuch, Vol. 120 (2000), Iss. 2 : pp. 169–186
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Kreyenfeld, Michaela
Abstract
When German re-unification was accompanied by a rapid decline in aggregate fertility rates, researchers particularly assigned high unemployment rates a dominant role in these changes in fertility behavior. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, we investigate changes in the timing of first births in East Germany after re-unification. Using data from the SOEP, we show that even after re-unification East Germans are younger at first birth than their West German counterparts. Second, we investigate the relationship between male and female unemployment and first birth risks. A major result is that female unemployment encourages the transition into parenthood in East Germany.