RACIAL OPPORTUNITY STRUCTURES AND BLACK FERTILITY

This paper develops and tests hypotheses about the impact of opportuni ty structures on black fertility across local labor markets. US Vital Statistics and Census of Population data are combined and then examine d with regression techniques to estimate the effect of both race-speci fic and relative measures of opportunity structure on black fertility in the United States. The results show that relative female opportunit y structure has a negative relationship with black total fertility rat es as well as with birth rates for specific points along the reproduct ive age structure. However, the hypothesized relationship between rela tive male opportunity structures and black fertility is not supported. We discuss these results as they relate to minority fertility theory and as they relate to public policy concerns.