Growth theory goes a long way toward explaining phenomena in labor economics linked with U.S. economic development. Some examples are: (a) the secular decline in fertility between 1800 and 1980, (b) the decline in agricultural employment and the rise in skill since 1800, (c) the demise of child...

General equilibrium models are used to explore the interactions between macroeconomics and the two components of population growth: natural increase and net-migration. The first questions at hand are: What caused the baby boom? Can it be explained within the context of the decline in fertility...

A negative relationship between income and fertility has persisted for so long that its existence is often taken for granted. One economic theory builds on this relationship and argues that rising inequality leads to greater differential fertility between rich and poor. We show that the...