PhD Seminar (Economics): Robots, computers and fertility dynamics

Linh Bui presents her research on fertility and economic growth.

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.