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http://dx.doi.org/10.7466/JKHMA.2013.31.3.141

Testing the Economic Rationality Hypothesis of the Low Fertility Trap Among Korean Youths  

Yoo, Gye-Sook (Dept. of Child & Family Studies, Kyung Hee Univ.)
Publication Information
Journal of Families and Better Life / v.31, no.3, 2013 , pp. 141-151 More about this Journal
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to test the economic rationality hypothesis of the low fertility trap among 412 college students at 13 private universities located in Seoul. The respondents were requested to complete the self-administered questionnaire, and the hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed for analyzing the data. The major findings of this study were as follows: First, the students' views on the prospects for their future employability were 54.6% for big business, 64.51% for medium-sized business, and 49.63% for public sector. In the most employable job, the mean desired monthly salary was 3,505,400 won, while the mean expected monthly salary 2,753,600 won. Second, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the family income in parental home was positively related to youths' consumption aspirations. Finally, the gap between youths' consumption aspirations and their expected income was negatively related to their desired number of children, while not significantly related to their planned age of first child birth. Thus, the low fertility trap hypothesis was supported in terms of birth rate drop, but not supported in terms of childbearing postponement. The implications of the study results are discussed.
Keywords
low fertility trap; youth employment; low fertility;
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