Sector of Women's Employment and Fertility in Croatia

Abstract

The primary purpose of this paper is analyzing the mutual connection between the sector of women’s employment and fertility rate in Croatia. The survey was conducted both quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative survey is based on a proportional quota sample of 1309 employed women, aged 20-39. The qualitative survey was conducted by using the method of in-depth interview on a sample of 20 participants. Prior to our analysis a theoretical and quantitative overview of the latest European surveys concerning this issue was given. On the manifest level, no (statistically) significant differences in fertility motivation (sum of achieved and intended fertility) were found among the surveyed sectors. However, it has been proven that the sector of employment is an important reason for postponing pregnancy, especially in the commercial sector. The public sector (health and education) provides a certain stability and this is where we find the lowest proportion of women who do not want children, while in the private sector (especially in financial mediation) the proportion of women who do not want children is considerably higher. The paper has also shown a connection between atypical work hours, specifically overtime work, and a decrease in fertility, while a significant correlation between fertility and work during weekends has not been established.