As birth rates fall across much of the world, working from home may offer a way to help raise them. Nicholas Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University who studies remote work, estimates that it has increased fertility by 5% in the United States and Northern Europe. The connection is strongest among women aged 30 and older who have college degrees and already have one child.
Bloom says one reason is that remote work makes caring for children more manageable. Parents can take children to medical or dental appointments, respond to problems at school, or pick them up early. These responsibilities are harder to manage when parents leave home at eight in the morning and return at six in the evening.
Working from home also gives couples more opportunities to become pregnant. Bloom explains that this can become harder after age 30, particularly after 35, when timing can be important. In his view, being at home makes that timing easier to manage.
