This study investigates how precarious employment throughout the life course affects the fertility behavior of men and women in Germany, and how risk attitudes moderate exposure to objectively given uncertainty. Analyzing data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study from 1990 to 2015, I find that men and women have become quite similar in their fertility behavior: Stable employment accelerates family formation, whereas discontinuous and precarious employment delays it. With regard to risk attitudes, risk-averse women show the highest likelihood of family formation. They appear to choose a family- and parenthood-centered path in their life course that provides them with stability and social approval when unstable career prospects and uncertain employment are unable to provide these resources.

本研究调查了整个生命过程中不稳定的就业如何影响德国男性和女性的生育行为，以及风险态度如何缓和对客观给定不确定性的暴露。分析德国社会经济小组（SOEP）1990年至2015年的研究数据，我发现男性和女性的生育行为变得非常相似：稳定的就业加速了家庭的形成，而间断和不稳定的就业则延迟了家庭的形成。关于风险态度，规避风险的女性最有可能组建家庭。他们似乎在他们的生命历程中选择以家庭和为人父母为中心的道路，当不稳定的职业前景和不确定的就业无法提供这些资源时，为他们提供稳定和社会认可。