Producing Jobs, Not Babies

Among the many solicitations for money that I have received recently was an appeal by a group that was concerned about population growth; it desired population control. Yesterday, the sub-head on a New Yorker article read: 

As the global population grows, we’ll have to find ways of feeding the planet without accelerating climate change.

These neo-Malthusian concerns are surprising to me because the media lately have been filled with stories about the complete opposite: the declining birth rate in this country (and elsewhere). For example:

Across most of the world, fertility rates are falling. As economies develop, fertility rates tend to decline — and when economies develop especially quickly, fertility rates often plummet to particularly low levels. In many countries they are already below 2.1 births per woman, the “replacement level” needed to keep populations steady from one generation to the next.

If current trends continue, by 2050 more than three-quarters  of countries will be below replacement-level fertility. By 2100, populations in some major economies will fall by 20 to 50 percent. (1)

Among the reactions to this trend is the pro-natalist movement—a “once-fringe movement claim[ing] having more babies is the only way to save civilization.” (2)

If there is a crisis because of too few people (rather than the historical Malthusian over-population doom story), the drive to increase births is completely wrongheaded. Let me explain.

From an economic point of view, what is a baby? A parasite. It demands food, clothing, constant monitoring, but since it does no work, earns no pay, it is a drag on the economy of the nation. Besides it often keeps its mother from pursuing her profession, causing a reduction in income for the family. (3)

In the United States, although so many right-wingers claim concern about unborn children, once the children are born, the concern falls away. Health care services and insurance coverage are under constant threat of disappearing. With anti-vaxxers in government health positions, vaccine guidance is questionable, leaving children exposed to many previously-defeated diseases. And if a child survives, it won’t be an asset to the economy for usually two decades or so (after finishing its education).

*

There is a counterbalance to the problem of a declining birthrate in the US. It is so obvious (but hateful to too many people): open the doors to more immigrants. Here are adults desirous of work (it is incredible that ICE drags people away from their jobs). When they tackle jobs that American citizens are loath to take, they add to the nation’s economy. And jobs are waiting:

Why Factories Are Having Trouble Filling Nearly 400,000 Open Jobs(4)

The Administration’s policies are stupidly counter-productive.

The president’s crackdown on immigration, which includes attempts to revoke deportation protections for migrants from troubled countries, may eliminate workers who could have filled those jobs.

And pace the pro-natalists, no wearer of a diaper can run a lathe or spot-weld a joint.

 

***

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/world/americas/birthrate-fertility-feminism.html
2. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/30/nx-s1-5382208/whats-behind-the-pronatalist-movement-to-boost-the-birth-rate
3. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/opinion/motherhood-penalty-career.html?searchResultPosition=1
4. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/business/factory-jobs-workers-trump.html?searchResultPosition=1

 

What do you do, Dad (Mom)?

Most parents at one time or another have probably been faced by a question similar to the title query by their offspring. If we follow the logic of James R. Hagerty (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703688704575620544230889942.
html), since “Coca-Cola Co. and General Motors Co. don't have to explain to the outside world what they make,” all a parent would have to do was to say, “Drink up the fizzy water I made, son,” or, “See that car over there, dear . . . ?”

But what do you say to your child if you work for a company that describes itself as:

"world leader in creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and efficient environments";

Or, "the global leader in motion and control technologies.";

Or, “the global leader in active and passive safety";

Or, "a leading products and service distributor focused on adding value and total cost savings solutions to MRO and OEM customers in virtually every industry since 1908";

Or, "a global leader in providing customer contact management solutions and services in the business process outsourcing (BPO) arena";

Or, “leverage[s] an innovative outcome-based, managed services engagement model with committed productivity benefits over the long term."

[Examples supplied by Hagerty.]

If you work for one of the above companies and your child asks the question, just order another round of fries to go with the Coke. That might shut them up.

***

As to what I do? Why, I am a global leader in supplying software-generated content packages for the literate world distributed to consumers by means of state-of-the-art information technology.

And if any of my grandchildren says another word, they’re out of my will.