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Demographics and Labour: some musings

I read an article commenting on demographics. The decline of fertility rates in Western nations. I think of myself, of course; I always wanted a family but could never bare to think of entering into a relationship without financial stability. To find a perfect woman, and just live a nice life, and have some kids. But, I have never in my life felt financially secure; I have always felt anxious about what I would be doing in a week or a month or a year from now. I have never wanted to enter into a relationship feeling I would be dependent on my partner, and now that I have a university degree, in turn I would not enter into an unequal relationship. But it took me twenty-two years of my adulthood to get to this point. My best years for starting a family are behind me.

Anyway, that's all anecdotal in regards to the following consideration: the decline of Western fertility rates seems to have more to do with financial security than anything else. The luxury of having children seems a goal out of reach so it's never even a consideration. Plus, it becomes a consideration of security versus happiness versus fulfillment. Security will come before happiness which will come before fulfillment. Raising children is very fulfilling but doesn't bring security, and as for happiness, it's a difficult measurement to make. Children do not make people happy nor do they make people unhappy. Hence: security >> happiness >> fulfillment. 

As it is right now, Western nations are desperately trying to attract immigrants to work positions but this actually causes further anxiety among working populations. There is less security for workers if they can be replaced by immigration for less wages or salary. This also creates pressure on job seekers who become displaced while seeking employment; why would companies hire locally when there's a cheaper resource available. And this pressure comes to effect immigrant workers as well because they in turn have absolutely no security as they in turn can be replaced on a whim. Thus, fertility rates stay low.

If Western nations were actually concerned about fertility rates, then they'd do a major stimulus plan: put people to work for at least ten years. Long-term government labour projects that aimed for 100% national employment would probably see birth rates rise but there are none such. There's tax credits but such are aspirational, and ultimately worthless. A national daycare plan would be helpful but even that's only a boon for those who already have children.

Slowing immigration by one or two percent would also see financial security tick upwards, and fertility rates increase marginally as companies would be forced to hire long-term and provide some form of security for its workforce in order to out-compete competitors for labour. However, immigration controls would not have as much effect as a 100% employment rate stimulus policy.

Regardless, whether or not any of this is actually important is another matter. The idea of growth itself demands analysis. It's a matter of if growth is something nations should actually be pursuing. Rather than being concerned about growing, it may actually be better for nations to pursue stability, which returns to the point of a lack of financial security creating an unstable fertility rate. Perhaps nations might even pursue a bit of deflation, settling into population sizes that allow for stability.

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