A Stanford University study estimates that between 2021 and 2025, some 80,000 additional births in the United States were associated with a pandemic-fueled rise in remote or hybrid work/office arrangements.
Why is this good news? Because it shows that when women have the freedom to work and the flexibility, raising a family while pursuing a career need not be an either/or proposition. In fact, it can even empower women to build their own businesses that not only suit this phase of their lives, but in turn, benefit their families.
The Stanford study, "The Global Persistence of Work from Home," detailed this worldwide phenomenon. Business Insider unpacked how younger Millennials and Gen Z have taken advantage of this balance to build their families while pursuing a career they enjoy, and helping provide for their families. For example, 27-year-old Stefi Markowicz of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said that a three-hour round-trip commute made motherhood and a career seem out of reach. However, after the pandemic hit, she started working from home. In June of this year, she gave birth to a son. "It's so much easier to think about raising a family without the stresses of leaving your house every single day," said Markowicz. "You also have more energy left for quality time with your partner."
The Stanford study also found that couples in which one or both partners telecommute at least one day a week are more likely to conceive and more amenable to planning for additional children.
The study further reflected a key point: the work-from-home model is not going away. In 2023, in the U.S. alone, 28 percent of the workforce could be classified as remote work or a work-from-home hybrid versus the number of independent professionals documented in 2017.
The study concludes: "These results indicate that the pandemic-driven shift to remote work has persisted and reached a new equilibrium with implications for urban economies, workforce flexibility, and future research on labor markets."
What an opportunity for state and local governments to not only encourage an increase in birth rates, but to usher in a Golden Age for the flourishing of the independence of professional and all American workers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show that since 2007 (with some brief exceptions), America's total fertility rate is at an all-time low: 1.6 children per woman versus the 2.1 replacement level needed to maintain the population without immigration.
Since January, the Trump administration has placed specific emphasis on prioritizing the American family by encouraging birth rate increases through initiatives like expanding access to in vitro fertilization and passing $1,000 baby investment "Trump Accounts" in the landmark One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.
While both are worthy endeavors, the administration is also focusing on strengthening workplace freedoms and giving women more choice and opportunity to work as they see fit. This Stanford study, along with the evidence of 1099 contractor arrangements encompassing more than just "gig work," further the need for municipal, state, and federal governments to secure the right-to-work for the millions of American women who choose this model over a traditional work role.
The U.S. Congress has several legislative packages on the table that could assist in this. We also expect the Department of Labor to overturn the harmful Biden-era independent contractor rule that restricted 1099 work. Now that the government is reopened, it's time to move these legislative packages that empower independent professionals, solopreneurs, and remote workers to the top of the docket.
The need for these bills is particularly pressing since the ABC Test in California's Assembly Bill 5, which outlawed independent contractors in that state, is still being embedded into anti-independent contractor laws and rules and peddled before state legislators as a way to strengthen unions while restricting worker freedoms.
Those helpful legislative packages include Sen. Tim Scott's (R-SC) Modern Worker Empowerment Act, which defines and clarifies the role of independent contractors under federal law.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has proposed portable healthcare and retirement benefits for independent contractors with the Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act. And Sen. Rand Paul's (R-KY) Association Health Plans Act would expand affordable health coverage options to millions of independent professionals and self-employed Americans. States are not waiting on Washington, D.C.; from Utah to Pennsylvania, red and blue states are adopting voluntary portable benefits plans or launching pilot programs for their independent contractor workforces.
As this Stanford study proves, less financial worries coupled with the reduced stress from a more amenable schedule can go a long way in increasing fertility and shoring up couples' ability to begin and expand their families.
Federal and state governments should get on board with this, not only by encouraging the facilitation of alternate workplace arrangements, but also by blocking and combating anti-freelancer rules and laws that prevent these opportunities from flourishing.
The future growth of the American Republic could well depend upon this.
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell is a small business owner, entrepreneur, independent contractor, visiting fellow with the Center for Economic Opportunity at Independent Women, and RedState.com contributor.