You think America’s shrinking workforce is a problem now?
Just wait …
At a time when the federal government desperately needs future taxpayers, American mothers are cranking out far fewer of them. According to data released last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), America’s fertility rate has hit a record low for the second straight year – having declined for the fifth straight year.
Despite the best efforts of this website’s founding editor (pictured, above), the U.S. fertility rate in 2012 was 63 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 – down from 2011’s record-low rate of 63.2. In 2007, the rate stood at 69.3 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 – still well below its peak rate of 122.7 in 1957.
For those of you keeping score at home, 3,952,841 babies were born in the United States. Of those, 1,609,619 (or 40.7 percent) were born to unmarried mothers. By contrast, in 1980 only 18.4 percent of babies were born out of wedlock.
As social libertarians, we don’t especially care about that latter statistic – but the broader decline of new babies is troubling. Aside from the fundamental lack of confidence it shows in our country, fewer babies means a contracted consumer economy moving forward – and yes, less taxpayer revenue to deal with the massive pile of debt that’s being accumulated by our current crop of “leaders” in Washington, D.C.
Bottom line? America’s plunging fertility rate is yet another indicator of the unsustainable nature of our country’s current trajectory …
26 comments
The misery index is at a RECORD high..People are dejected and depressed. Why in the world would nayone want to bring a child into this FILTHY mess Obama has created. Especially if you’re, moral, Christian and hardworking…????
Because my children are gorgeous …
That is one thing you are 100% correct about.
That said: perhaps you’ll join me for an answer to the MESS we’re in…for our children…Vote and support Conservatives…
+1 on the pic. The pic with the title made me chuckle. She’s a cutie.
Wrong. The US Misery Index has been on a downward trajectory as the unemployment rate continues to fall. The average rate for the Obama years is already lower than it was during 4 out of the last 5 Republican administrations. On it’s current path the Misery Index will be lower than all 5 when Obama leaves office.
Obviously facts make you miserable.
The reality of it is: It SUCKS….if you are finding numbers to perpetuate so sort of rosy picture, it’s just crap the media and Obama are manufacturing to hide what a Disaster he is. You’re stupid if you don’t know that….
Really? At the start of the Obama reign, it was 8.94 at the end of 2012 it was 10.2 and had gone as high as 12.1. The highest it gotduring Bush 2 was 9.6.
http://www.miseryindex.us/indexbyyear.aspx
Again, Tango is full of it. All time high my ass.
The misery index as of December 2013 (based on the most recent official government data) is at 8.24% down from a peak of 12.87% in both October and November 2011 which was pretty miserable. With inflation at historically low levels the major component of the Misery index is unemployment.
At the end of Bush’s second term it was 11.14
Food stamps, unemployment, poverty, confidence, inflation, salaries are at MISERABLE numbers….you are fooled if you think different…
If there is a number in Obama’s favor…it’s been doctored like he has done to unemployment….
Keep pulling your own wool over your eyes…
‘ official government data’ AHAHAHAHAHA! Provided by Gruber ?
Birth rates are declining across the world, namely in countries with high living standards.
One could argue that the advent of modern science and technology will help make up for declining population growths, though.
Stop confusing FITS News issues with facts.
They’re declining across the world even in third world countries.
Fertility rate…the ultimate vote of confidence of any civilization…
Perhaps Comrade Obama can appoint a Fornication Czar to fix the problem. Maybe a 5 year plan where he modifies Obamacare to not cover birth control would be sufficient?
All we need is better central planning to solve this crisis.
Obama will just use a low birth rate to make a case to legitimize illegals. He can get more democrat voters by doling out food stamps, welfare free housing and healthcare to border-crossers.
Obama does not give a $#!* if it collapses the country…he’ll still live like a king, thanks to fat-cat liberals, who tell you to get Effed, while they enjoy the power and wealth you earn and they take through the IRS…….
Wow! The Koch’s are fat cat libs? Thanks again, mister!
Fertility rate is the wrong term. That would suggest who is able to get pregnant and trying. Birth rate is the correct term
This very reason is why SS and Medicare will disappear within 30 years, if not sooner.
I remember people saying the same thing 30 years ago.
We didn’t have the same problems 30 years ago, moreover, who gonna pay for all this?
No one needs to pay for it. We have a printing press. We use it. How much we use it doesn’t matter.
You live up to your name.
“As social libertarians, we don’t especially care about that latter statistic…[out of wedlock birth]”
Maybe it’s time you considered caring about that issue Will, single parent kids are:
6 times more likely to live in poverty
3 times more likely to have behavioral problems in school
83% of inmates in a 1999 study came from; single parent homes (43%), long term separated homes (9%) or divorced homes (30%)
http://www.cwfa.org/images/content/kuala-lumpur.pdf
It’s not just in the USA!
It’s all around the developing world: Russia, England, France, even China.
When you have to pay the bills, children can become an unwanted luxury.
In undeveloped parts of the world, diseases, war, and hunger are causing drops in their birth rates: too.
There is even several books being written about the end of humanity, with projections based on the declining birth rates of exactly when that will happen. And, it’s estimated to be rather soon; depending upon which estimates you read.