Marika Jalovaara defended her doctoral thesis in 2007 at the University of Helsinki. She achieved the title Docent in 2012 both in demography at the University of Helsinki and in economic sociology at the University of Turku. Between 2014 and 2019, she conducted her project ‘Family Dynamics and Social Inequalities’ as an Academy Research Fellow, funded by the Academy of Finland. She was a team leader (WP2) in the ‘Tackling Inequalities in Time of Austerity (TITA) Strategic Research Consortium (2015–2021). and the PI of the project ‘Falling Fertility and the Inequalities Involved, NEFER‘, funded by the Academy of Finland.

In 2014–2023, she served as the President of the Finnish Demographic Society​, and she continues to serve as a board member.

Marika Jalovaara has published extensively in leading journals, including European Sociological Review, Demography, Population Studies, Population Research and Policy Review, Journal of Marriage & Family, Acta Sociologica, European Journal of Population, Social Policy, Demographic Research, European Journal of Public Health.