Robots, computers and fertility dynamics

Crawford School of Public Policy | Arndt-Corden Department of Economics

Event details

PhD Seminar (Econ)

Date & time

Friday 30 August 2024
11.00am–12.15pm

Venue

Weston Theatre JG Crawford Building and Online Zoom

Speaker

Linh Bui

This study develops a conceptual framework based on the Overlapping Generations (OLG) model to illustrate how technological advancements influence fertility dynamics. Building on the work of Galor and Weil (1996) and Day (2004), the study introduces robot and computer capital as gross substitutes for physical and mental labor, respectively, within an economy where women increasingly prefer to participate in the workforce rather than assume full-time motherhood. This model examines the paradox where technological advancements, financed by humans, compete with two types of labor, particularly impacting the gender wage gap and female labor force participation. The study explains the concurrent trends of rising per capita output, increasing female wages alongside a narrowing gender wage gap, and either a brief increase in fertility followed by a decline or a continuous decline in fertility. The findings suggest that factors influencing the substitutability between goods and maternal time in childrearing—such as social norms and maternity leave policies—can significantly impact fertility rates.

To join in-person:

Venue: Weston Theatre, JG Crawford Building, 132 Lennox Crossing, Acton, ACT 2601 (ANU Crawford School of Public Policy)

To join online:

Please register to receive a Zoom link.

Updated:  16 September 2024/Responsible Officer:  Crawford Engagement/Page Contact:  CAP Web Team