Want higher birth rates? Get on board with remote work.

"New research from Nicholas Bloom at Stanford University and a team of colleagues shows that this single change shifts real family decisions. Evidence on flexible arrangements and fertility intentions in dual-earner couples, paired with U.S. analyses linking pandemic-era flexibility to higher births, points to a simple conclusion: if the Trump administration and cultural conservatives want more babies, they should encourage more remote work."

"Working from home trims commutes, thus returning valuable hours to households. A parent can handle a pediatric visit without blowing up a shift schedule. Mom can breastfeed without logistical relays. Dad can cover school pickup without hiring a costly nanny. One U.S. analysis documented a baby bump in 2021 and early 2022, strongest among college-educated women, aligning with the population most able to use hybrid work. Women with remote options were more likely to report plans to try for a child."

"Remote work is not going away. The Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes shows hybrid has stabilized since 2023, with U.S. workers performing roughly a quarter of paid days from home in 2025. That persistence matters because fertility planning responds to expected conditions, not temporary perks. A policy that institutionalizes two at-home days per week delivers hard time in a soft way. It is a structural fix to the everyday frictions that push families to stop at one child."

Hybrid remote work that gives both parents one or two days at home reduces commuting time and restores hours for childcare, medical visits, breastfeeding, and school pickups. Pandemic-era flexibility correlated with a modest baby bump in 2021–22, strongest among college-educated women who could use hybrid schedules. Women with remote options reported higher plans to try for a child, and dual‑earner couples with schedule control translated intentions into realized births. Hybrid arrangements have stabilized since 2023, with about a quarter of paid days worked from home in 2025. Institutionalizing two at-home days per week could structurally lower everyday frictions that deter larger families.

Read at The Hill