Skip to main content

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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The human 'superpredator' is unique -- and unsustainable, study says

Los Angeles Times I can't imagine the world in ten years time. Twenty years. It'll be different. As different as the world was even in my own childhood. As different as the world was from my parents' childhoods. My elders speak of our role on this Earth as caretakers. However, we've abandoned this role in favor of materialistic pursuits. Of finite beliefs that will quickly degrade into ash when stressed, as heated glass touching cold water. All cultures historically warn us away from over-indulgence, and yet our own modern society celebrates this behavior as exemplary. This self-interest is our fatal flaw. We take what we want, and we give nothing. This cannot last. There are limits on this Earth we cannot comprehend in full. It is simply too vast. However, what little we do know should terrify us into acting more responsibly, even if only marginally. However we do not even do that. Our leaders urge us on to continue on as we have done. This cannot last. Eventuall...
1 comment
Read more

The On-coming Canadian Housing Market Crash

 It seems inevitable now. What was propping up Canadian housing prices even through the worst of housing market crashes elsewhere were banking rules forcing Canadian banks to keep 100% coverage and investors fleeing into Canadian housing when all else was failing. The latter however now is ready to give. Canadian banks will likely be fine due to well-enforced banking rules, but the housing investors are done for. They've driven up prices so high in Vancouver and other Canadian cities that once the homes begin losing value, that'll be that. Value will sink like a stone into water and trillions of dollars will vanish overnight. Three quarters of the economy, at least. And that's probably the conservative estimate. There is exposure everywhere by a great many players of this financial game. All interconnected with a great many of these companies playing at being investment companies the same way Mom and Pop investors play at the game: without clue and context that they're ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Earth is Alive

It is not a being in a manner we can absolutely comprehend. It's deeper mysteries are probably too much for our abnormally large monkey brains. We can make good guesses as to its nuances and behaviors, but how do we prove anything above the level of the idea we believe there to be a molten core at its heart? We believe it breathes and maintains its temperature through the trees, the air, and the ocean. We can make good guesses at all this, modeling to best of our knowledge what it all may look like, and predict its future behavior, but we don't actually know, for certain. Which may seem like a weakness to some. We're nothing more than animals, really. We follow the strong, and the strong are certain. Uncertainty seems alike to fear to some. The Earth is alive, and it is ancient. We are mere insects to it, really. Its age is unfathomable, honestly. We can only imagine a time before humans. We wish for a sense of superiority, as though we're somehow important in the gra...
1 comment
Read more