Socio-economic Determinants of Fertility and Female Labor Force Participation in the Philippines

Abstract: Socio-economic variables substantially determine fertility behavior and female labor force participation. Temporal fluctuations in socio-economic determinants of fertility and female labor force participation seem inevitable since they are subject to societal developments in the Philippines. Examining socio-economic variables over time contributes to an enhanced understanding of the current status and exerted influence by those variables, and thus provides an opportunity to intervene in fertility development. In this study a multivariate linear regression is used to analyze the socio-economic determinants of completed fertility and a binary logistic regression in order to investigate the effect of socio-economic variables on female labor force participation. Both regression analyses are based on empirical data from the Demographic and Health Surveys in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008 in the Philippines. Secondary and higher educational attainment of females and males is identified as main determinant for the fertility decline in the considered period. Among Philippine women with at least four children, the chances of labor participation diminished noticeably. Prospective research should have the objective to provide an adequate variable for the financial background of the analyzed individuals in order to allow for precise evaluations of its impact on fertility behavior.