Understanding how women’s access to formal employment shapes fertility is central to debates on demographic change and economic development. A longstanding assumption in both academic and policy circles is that expanding women’s work opportunities leads to fertility decline. This view draws on broad historical correlations between female labor force participation and falling birth rates. Yet causal evidence, particularly from Sub-Saharan Africa, remains limited. Ethiopia offers a critical setting in which to revisit these assumptions, as the country has rapidly expanded its manufacturing sector while maintaining comparatively high fertility levels. This brief summarizes findings from a long-term randomized controlled trial in Ethiopia that examined how access to factory jobs influences fertility trajectories. Over 9 years, the study followed 1,464 married women who initially applied for jobs in 27 garment and shoe factories located across five industrializing regions.
