Family formation is still a major life goal for an overwhelming section of the population in contemporary societies. It is a major transition in the individual life course because bringing up children in modern societies is a challenging and costly task. Men and women are increasingly aware of this fact. That is why family formation is no longer taken for granted as an obligatory marker of the transition to adulthood. It is increasingly a matter of conscious decision making—at least in modern societies. One would expect economic uncertainty to be a major issue in this decision. Labor market insecurity in particular should prevent couples from realizing family formation and impact the timing of childbirth or the likelihood of remaining childless.

There are plenty of historical examples showing that in times of economic crisis and major societal instability birthrates decline considerably. However, more recent studies in various countries show mixed evidence in regard to the impact of economic uncertainty and labor market insecurity on family formation. The puzzle of these partially seemingly contradictory findings has not yet been solved. Obviously, the relationship between labor market insecurity and family formation is more complex than has been assumed. It is the result of a complex interplay between historical factors and traditions, current socioeconomic conditions of the lives of men and women, and their personal ways of dealing with risks and uncertainties.