banktime.com

The bad economy has made all sorts of interesting changes to the American lifestyle. We know some of the biggies – fewer jobs, smaller paychecks, fewer luxuries, the rise of “frugalista” culture, et cetera. Over the weekend, it seems that we discovered yet another interesting effect of the Great Recession. The American birthrate has fallen for the second year in a row. It seems that money troubles have given some U.S. families pause when it comes to starting their families or expanding existing ones.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there was only thirteen point five births per every one thousand people in America last year, compared to thirteen point nine in 2008 and fourteen point three births per thousand in 2007. Sociologists say that this phenomenon is neither new nor unprecedented. Andrew Cherlin, a sociologist quoted by CNN in their coverage of the story, claimed that a lower birth rate is not unexpected when people feel “unsure of their financial future.” Cherlin, who is affiliated with research university Johns Hopkins, claims that this trend has perpetuated itself in previous recessions, although obviously not to such an extent. The greater the economic crisis, the greater the number of families who will elect to postpone childbearing, he posits. Cherlin says that it will take some time after a hopeful economic improvement to help people feel comfortable again with the idea of bringing more children into the world. That will likely be a few years, he says.

He points out that, during the Great Depression, as many as one in five American women never had a baby. The United States could easily hit that number again, he warns. Although many couples who put off growing their families right now will just have children at a later age, some will wait too long and not have any at all.

Many factors could make individuals and families feel discomforted by the thought of having children right now. Jobs are scarce, as I said earlier, and there are legitimate concerns about being able to financially support the existing members of a household in the increasingly-likely event of financial disaster – let alone another small child. There is also the fact that people are very uncomfortable with buying homes at the moment, which is bad for those who believe that kids should have a “real” home in which to live. And, of course, there is the effect that financial woes are having on relationships. Couples who fight all the time due to monetary stresses are unlikely to feel inclined to have a baby together, you know what I mean?

These tough financial times are hard on everyone, but parents of small children feel especially stressed due to the fact that they have the full dependence of an immature family member relying upon them as well. As a mother of two, I can completely relate to this. It makes me sad, however, that couples who might dream of having a child would have to make the (smart, undoubtedly) choice to forego pregnancy because they are worried about what the future will bring. America needs some fresh hope, and we need it soon.