Recession puts babies on hold | Journal of Technology and Economic ...

FEAR of getting fired has forced many couples in Europe and the US to abandon plans to have babies.

The uncertain economic climate since the crash in 2008 brought to an end steady increases in birth rates that were seen in almost all European countries since around 2000, according to a report on birth rates in rich countries.

Many factors influence birth rates, ?but a main one is economic uncertainty?, says Vegard Skirbekk of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria, one of the authors of the report (Population and Development Review, DOI: 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2011.00411.x).

Recovery may be slow. ?Even if you have an economic boom, it could take time before there?s enough confidence, secure enough jobs and high enough salaries for fertility rates to recover,? he says.

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Source: http://journaltec.com/2011/07/01/recession-puts-babies-on-hold.html

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