Objectives: This report presents preliminary data for 2011 on births in the United States. U.S. data on births are shown by age, live-birth order, race, and Hispanic origin of mother. Data on marital status, cesarean delivery, preterm births, and low birthweight are also presented. Methods: Data in this report are based on approximately 100…

This paper examines how marital and fertility patterns have changed along racial and educational lines for men and women. Historically, women with more education have been the least likely to marry and have children, but this marriage gap has eroded as the returns to marriage have changed. Marriage and remarriage rates have risen for women with a…

This paper bridges the literature on childlessness, which often focuses on married White couples, to the literature on race and fertility, which often focuses on why total fertility rates and nonmarital births are higher for Blacks than Whites. Despite similarity in levels of childlessness among Black women and White women, Black trends have been…

The authors use data from the 2000 Census Public Use Microdata Sample to examine the likelihood of a birth event, defined as the household presence of a child younger than 2 years, for male and female professionals. Physicians have the highest rate of birth events, followed in order by attorneys and academics. Within each profession men have more…

We employ newly developed methods to disentangle age, period and cohort effects on non-marital fertility ratios from 1972 through 2002 for black and white women ages 20-44 in the United States. We focus on three cohort factors: family structure, school enrollment and the sex ratio. For both blacks and whites, cohorts with less traditional family…

Explores the connections between women's employment and fertility control. The point is made that these are both ongoing processes, intersecting and mutually reinforcing each other. The correlation between work/nonwork and family size is less significant than links between work-consistency and fertility control patterns which enhance that…

Urban residential and Christian religious background and higher levels of educational attainment yield a later marriage age. Findings suggest that benefits accruing from higher social status, greater education, and delayed marriage are lessened by a shorter marriage/first birth interval. (Author)

Women in inner-city neighborhoods characterized by poverty were interviewed to investigate the effect of parity on family well-being. Parity was negatively associated with later income per household member, number of months mothers were employed, and planning and organization of the household and positively correlated with later reception of…

Life history data from both origin and destination areas were used to examine the relationship between migration and fertility among Puerto Rican women. Migration to the U.S. mainland had opposite effects on childbearing for single versus married or cohabiting women. For all migrants, migration played an integral part in the family formation…

Cites aggregate statistics summarizing the social and economic statuses of Black women and interprets their implications for the quality of life experienced by Black females. Focuses on educational attainment, marital and fertility patterns, health status, labor force participation rates, and economic roles. (GC)

This report presents the childbearing experience and fertility expectations of American women based on data collected in the June, 1976, Current Population Survey. Survey findings include the birth expectations of young single women who, as they marry, will contribute a major portion of the births in the United States within a few years. An…

Demographic data for Mexican American women and men, displayed in 30 tables accompanied by summaries, indicate changes in the allocation of time between the ages of 18 and 29 over 17 year period from 1960 to 1976. Trends for Mexican American women indicate person years spent single changed from 3.4 in 1960 to 3.6 in 1976, with a sharp increase in…

Examines the impact of a woman's family background on transitions to sexual activity, marriage, and motherhood. Documents how parental education, parental survival status, and other factors are important in the transition to adult roles. Findings suggest that increases in educational levels should contribute to delays in these transitions and…

Using data from the 1990 Friends and Family Survey, examined the childbearing experiences of cohabiting women after their entry into a cohabitational relationship. Found that the hazard rate of a cohabiting woman bearing a child within the union is associated with her age, educational status, nativity, and other factors. (RJM)