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Thursday, December 11, 2008
Will the recession delay your baby plans?
Economic downturns generally trigger declines in fertility. Has the bad economy made you think twice about adding to your family?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jessica Guynn writes: “As the financial crisis reverberates through Wall Street, Washington and beyond, it is taking a personal toll on couples who are making the painful decision to postpone starting — or growing — their families. Once hopeful about their ability to provide for children, prospective parents are now filled with gnawing doubts as jobs vanish, retirement savings dwindle and housing prices fall — even as the cost of having and raising a child rises…”
“Baby booms and busts are reliable, if lagging, economic indicators, intertwined with the rise and fall of the nation’s fortunes. For three-quarters of a century, economic downturns have triggered declines in the U.S. fertility rate, which, at about two children per woman, is the highest among rich nations. The fertility rate hit its post-World War II low of 1.7 in 1976, after the oil shortage and a severe recession.”
“With the country in a recession since December 2007, accompanied by a stock market plunge and growing numbers of people losing their jobs and homes, 8 in 10 Americans say they are anxious about the economy, a recent survey by the American Psychological Assn. showed.”
Demographers say it’s too early to tell how the anxiety will affect the birthrate but they’ll know in about nine months.
The article says that fertility specialists are already seeing a decline in clients willing to pay large sums of money to get pregnant.
Has the economy affected your plans to get pregnant? Will you put off a second or a third child until the economy is more stable? Have you put off in-vitro or adoption due to high costs? How has the economy affected your family planning?
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