This is one of the big theories, but I think it’s on the wrong track. Even if we raised the minimum wage to $25 an hour, I doubt it would make a big impact on fertility rates. The fact is, very few women would still choose to stay at home and be financially dependent on a partner, which is very risky and unfulfilling to most people. Even fewer cis-hetero men would be willing to be dependent on their wives.

Women used to have no choice but to do uncompensated labor. Not even 50 years ago, women couldn’t even open a bank account without a husband or male family member signing off on it and controlling their finances. Why would any intelligent and logical person want to go back to being dependent on a partner and essentially being on call 24/7 to do a bunch of childcare, housework, and emotional labor that they don’t even get paid for? That sounds like a terrible deal.