Unemployment linked to lower fertility rates in couples.

Job loss negatively affects the chances of having a child, particularly in middle-income couples, according to a scientific analysis of data from large panel studies in Germany and the United Kingdom. The study found that the link was more pronounced in couples where both partners equally contributed to family finances or where the female was the breadwinner, and childless couples with women in their mid-20s up to late 30s. The decision to have children is a joint decision by two people, and the study sheds light on the relationship between job loss and family planning.