Cause and Effect

This, from the November 21st Chronicle of Higher Education ("Frozen Eggs: Oocyte Cryopreservation is Not the Secret to Professional Success in Academe"):

According to the 2000 census, the more hours that professional men work — up to 59 hours a week — the more children they are likely to have. But for professional women, the opposite is true: The more hours they work, the fewer children they are likely to have.

Ah, but what is the cause, and what is the effect?

The gist of the article is on how women have to make choices between career and family far more than men do, which is most likely true. I have to qualify that since I'm one of those men who downgraded their career (by going half time, to be at home with my daughter more), but I know that I was the exception to the rule.

When men who have more kids are spending more time at the office, then, the question is...why? Are they running from the kids, or working hard for the kids?

This is a stat without a context around it. The meaning in it is the meaning you want it to have.