In 2016, women managers have slightly fewer children than women clerical and service employees

In 2016, fertility of women who are working or have worked varies little by social group in France: total fertility rate ranges from 1.64 children per woman among managers and higher intellectual profesionnals to 1.91 per women among clerical, sales and service employees. Women who have never worked have by far the highest fertility rate (2.57).

Social groups differ in their mean ages at childbirth: 30 years old among clerical and service employees and blue collar employees, and 33 years old among managers. Behaviours vary markedly according to the age of women, especially under 30 years of age. Among women over 30 years of age who live with a partner, managers have as many children as women who have never worked.

Differences in fertility levels are low among non immigrant women, high among immigrant women. However, women of the same social group give birth on average at the same age, whether or not they are immigrants.

In 2016, self-employed farmers, craftsmen or traders are the men with the highest number of children (2.1 children per man). They are also the youngest fathers. On the contrary, men who have never worked live less frequently with a partner than others and have thus fewer children on average.