Work from Home could Help Lift Birth Rates, Stanford Researchers Say

As President Donald Trump pushes proposals to reverse America’s declining birth rate, researchers suggest another approach: remote work.

Researchers found that realized fertility, fertility plans, and total fertility rates were higher among respondents who worked remotely at least once a week.

A new study led by Stanford University economists, including remote-work expert Nick Bloom, found that from 2023 to early 2025, realized fertility was 14% higher among couples where both partners worked from home at least one day per week compared with couples where neither did.

The study analyzed data from the Global Survey of Working Arrangements and the U.S. Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes, covering more than 11,000 respondents aged 20 to 45 across 38 countries.

Researchers found that realized fertility, fertility plans, and total fertility rates were higher among respondents who worked remotely at least once a week.

U.S. fertility fell to an all-time low in 2024 — fewer than 1.6 children per woman — reflecting a broader global decline driven by later marriages, economic uncertainty, and financial concerns.