This paper by Ester Fanelli and Paola Profeta (2021) analyzes whether fathers' increased involvement in the family (housework and childcare) has the potential of increasing both fertility and maternal employment for a sample of Central and Eastern European countries, characterized by historically high female labor force participation and currently low fertility rates. Using two waves of the Generations and Gender Survey, the authors show that more paternal involvement in the family increases the likelihood that the mother will have a second child and work full-time. Men's fertility and work decisions are instead unrelated to mothers' housework and childcare. The authors also show that fathers' involvement in housework plays a more important role than involvement in childcare. The role of fathers' involvement in housework is confirmed considering women who initially wanted or intended to have a child, whose partner also wanted a child, or who intended to continue working.
Fanelli E, Profeta P. Fathers' Involvement in the Family, Fertility, and Maternal Employment: Evidence From Central and Eastern Europe. Demography. 2021 Oct 1; 58(5): 1931-1954. DOI
