Recession leads to drop in birthrates in Silicon Valley, throughout California

[cosmicone]

Source: SJ Mercury News

Paychecks, housing values and general optimism have all contracted in the state during the recession that began at the end of 2007, and now the tough times have ushered in another slowdown — at hospital delivery rooms.

California had 14,570 fewer births in 2008 than in the previous year, a 2.6 percent drop that surprised demographers with its size. It was the first annual decline in births since 2001, when the state was last mired in a recession. While the economy is one likely cause, the migration of young Latinas in their prime childbearing years out of California, and a slowdown of illegal immigration, are ongoing factors that could cut into the state's future population growth if they continue.

"In the kind of economy we have, it's possible that people are opting not to have children that they might otherwise have," said Melanie Martindale, senior demographer with the state Department of Finance.

But the 3.2 percent decline in births to Hispanic mothers from 2007 to 2008 — the largest one-year decline in at least two decades — "is very significant, and very, very large," said Martindale, who produces the state's annual population estimates for racial and ethnic groups. "That seems to be because a lot of working-age and childbearing-age Hispanics are moving out of state to take jobs elsewhere, coupled with the fact that the border crossings" into the U.S. from Mexico "have declined."

Read more: http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_12915526?source=rss

[Ilsa]

1. I'm in a related business and I see it too.

The only ones having babies intentionally have financial security. Others that are having kids got pregnant by accident and don't believe in abortion. I've referred more of my business to state agencies since more of them qualify for that kind of assistance.

Frankly, I don't mind seeing a slowdown in birthrates.

[juno jones]

2. Overlooking the fact that many people who

desired to start a family moved to places outside of the Bay Area to do so. We have a couple of friends who moved out from the SJ area to start their families, citing cost, pollution and the grit of city life as things that they wanted to minimize their children's exposure to. I wonder, if you looked, if there would be a corresponding boom in births in the Sac area or Santa Rosa as this is where they and many like them moved to to start their families.

[WriteDown]

5. Bingo...

Just the expense alone of living in the Bay Area has driven money who plan to start a family to cheaper areas.

[LeftyMom]

6. I doubt it.

Housing's a hell of a lot cheaper but the job situation here is worse than in the bay area. Our economy's had two really big hits in the almost total cessation of construction and the state worker furloughs and IOUs, which are a big deal since so many of the best jobs here are state jobs.

I doubt people here feel any more secure in their futures at the moment. In particular, I doubt many women are willing to get pregnant intentionally knowing they'll need to use sick days and maternity leave in the current job market. I know I'd be real nervous about having a job to come back to.

[juno jones]

10. The Sac couple I'm thinking of

did this a a few years ago when the bay first started slowing down and are now getting nervous because they've now got 2 kids now and with two degrees in the family, hubby's working at Comcast doing installation and mom's back to school for teaching (she already has a master's in science and can't find work, WTF?).

The Santa Rosa couple is better off, but still nervous.

Personally, I think it was more of a grass-is-greener situation for both. Housing was a huge factor in both decisions.

My husband and I saw it coming when Arnie was elected. We miss CA (he's a SJ native) but feel lucky to be somewhere where we aren't worried about funding for my kid's school, etc.

[truedelphi]

3. California had such excesive rates of growth for fifteen years

(From 1983 to 1998) that if the birth rate stalls, even dramatically, we will still have plenty of people.

Population was about 24 million in 1983 - and in early 2007 it was 32 million.

We could use a decrease.

[No Elephants]

4. The decrease in birth rate may have coincided with the recession, butt they cannot assign cause and

effect on that basis.

[Demeter]

17. It Happened Last TIme, Too

The Great Depression (or as it will be known in the future, the Lesser Depression) was characterized by an incredibly low birth rate. My mother was an only child, with only four cousins, in a Catholic family of 5 families of child-bearing age.

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. "so we're left with a basically older population, it's harder to turn that around," said like

older people are dead weight.

[bemildred]

8. Yes, got to rid of all those old people, medical costs, cut our losses now ...

I mean, what did they ever do for us anyway?
:sarcasm:

[Control-Z]

9. California will never have a

noticeable shortage of young people. Right now there are more than the job market can support. Is there really a concern here?

[yorgatron]

11. too many people breeding any damn way.

almost 7 billion people on the planet now.

[Control-Z]

12. Ain't that the truth.

I just don't understand the anti-choicers. We need to slow down the breeding, not promote it. And that's not even considering the fate of the poor souls who are forced into this world, and their parents, who don't stand a chance of giving them a good life in the first place. What the hell is wrong with these people?


edit: typo - posting without glasses

[Hannah Bell]

13. "the breeding". who are *you,* bob the farm manager?

us fertility rate = 2.04/woman

world = 2.65.

[Control-Z]

14. No. I'm someone who

believes the earth's resources are being impacted negatively by the growing population, and that people should not be forced into having children they don't want.

Your comment was rude. Had you wanted, I'm sure you could have disagreed without insulting me.

[WriteDown]

15. Oddly enough, I've noticed that you have already been born...

Seems that people who are already born (and often with children) want to control another's family choices. Seems like to some that "choice" means "limits."

[Control-Z]

18. You are one really twisted dude.

The only thing choice "limits", is the likes of people like you forcing your fucked up morals on the rest of us. You are too transparent. Now stop preaching your non progressive bullshit.

[Joanne98]

16. Capitalism causes abortions!

This is why the christian right is responsible for all the abortions. It's their fault. They're the ones who keep defending the money changers.